Gl 



others growing in its neighbourhood, as also would one growing in a dry, sandy 

 soil, as compared with another furnished with an abundant supply of moisture ; 

 but probably the variations are not greater, in comparison, than those occurring 

 in the animal kingdom. In addition to their claim upon you as scientists, these 

 few pines are well worthy of your interest. They are some of the oldest living 

 things about us, they have witnessed one savage race overpower another, and the 

 white man supplant them both ; they are the remnants of a forest that began 

 life at a time when Pioneers first reached this region, and were at least live 

 years old when Champlain made his first voyage up the Ottawa. 



The Utica Sl.\te. — By Henry M. Ami. 



Mr. Ami being absent from the city, this paper ivas rea.i by the Secretary. It has since 

 been revised and somewhat condensed by the author. 



The Utica Slate formation derives its name from the town of Utica, N. Y., on 

 account of the occurrence of an exposure of rock in the vicinity of that place, 

 which American geologi&ts have adopted as typical of the series. 



It is lurther called a " slate " formation on account of the eminent slaty 

 cleavage which the rock possesses; this generally corresponds with and is paral- 

 lel to the divisional planes of stratification, but somtimes occurs cutting these 

 planes at various angles. Instances of the latter may be observed at Montreal, 

 on the mountain side, or near Ottawa in a quarry on the Montreal Road ; such 

 cleavage is due to lateral and other pressuie, acting at various angles on the 

 beds. 



The term " Utica Shale " has also been frequently applied to rocks of this 

 formation and may be said with greater accuracy to designate the chaiacter of 

 the rock than the term '• Utica Slate " does. 



Until quite recently the Utica Slate has received very little attention at tie 

 hands of geologists and paljeontologists. In the Geology of Canada, (18G3), 

 however, we find that a considerable amount of valuable work has been done, 

 including researches into the palasontology, stratigraphy and lithology of the 

 formation. 



NATURE OP THE BOCKS. 



To ascertain the nature of the rocks constituting these beds we must refer 

 to some typical representative of the formation. In addition to the series at 

 Utica, in the United States, which has been taken as the type of this formation, 

 we have also, here in Canada, a good exposure situated near the mouth of the 

 Eiver Ste. Anne, Montmorenci, P.Q. 



In the Geology of Canada (1863), there is a tabulated description of this 

 series. The beds consist of a brittle black or brown, more or less bituminous 

 shale, of much the same nature throughout. At the base of the section are two 

 bands ot yellow weathering (probably magnf sian) limestone, and at the summit 

 a thin band or two of sandstone and grit are found. 



ORIGIN AND MODK OF DEPOSITION. 



At the close of the Trenton formation, whether from subsidence of the 

 northern part of this continent, or from the Arctic Seas having broken through 

 their southern barriers — the Laurentian Hills — there set-ms to have come from 

 the north, cold and muddy waters which carried down finely div ded clay and 

 sand and depo^ited tbem over tlie whole central plateau and synclinal hollows 

 in various parts of the continent. Layer after layer was thus deposited, which, 

 under the a'- tion of subsequent heat, pressure and other physical aa;encies, as- 



