207 



6. — N'ew species of Fossils from the Quebec Group in the northern part 



of Neivfoundland. 



The north-western coast of Newfoundland, from Cape Norman in the 

 Straits of Belle Isle to Bonne Bay on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a distance 

 of about 180 miles, is composed altogether of Lower Silurian limestones, 

 slates, quartzites, and sandstones. These rocks form a belt of low country 

 lying along the coast and extending inland to the foot of a range of 

 mountains which, at least in the southern part, are composed of Lauren- 

 tian gneiss. The Avidth of this belt, of Silurian rock, for about 100 miles 

 north of Bonne Bay appears to be from 5 to 10 miles, but further north it 

 becomes broader, and may spread across to the eastern shore of the island. 



The fossils, as well as the stratigraphical position, shew that these rocks 

 belong to the Potsdam and Quebec groups. The Potsdam group has here 

 a thickness of about 2000 feet, and is composed, for the greater part, of 

 sandstones, quartzites and slates, the remainder being dolomites and lime- 

 stones. The Quebec group is 6600 feet in thickness, the lower 3200 feet, 

 consisting almost altogether of limestones above which there is a deposit 

 of 1400 feet of sandstones, slates and conglomerate limestones, and this 

 in its turn, is overlaid by 2000 feet of greenish sandstones and red shales. 

 The following table of tlie different members of this series of rocks is 

 abridged from the measured sections published in the Geology of Canada^ 

 on pages 865-868, 869-871, and 879 : 



QUEBEC GROUP. 



Q. Greenish sandstones and red shales. . . . Sillery 2000 



P. Grey and white limestone conglomerates with much black shale. The 

 black shale holds the compound graptolites, and the limestone 

 some of the trilobites apd other fossils of Point Levis. Many of 



the species are identical with those of Division N, TOO 



0. Grey calcareous sandstones and black shales, 700 



1400 



N". Black bituminous limestones, 277 



M. Light bluish-grey limestones, 658 



L. Light bluish-grey limestones 191 



K. Grey and whitish magnesian limestones, 100 



I. Light yellowish-gray magnesian limestones, 135 



In the above five divisions (I to N inclusive) the Gasteropoda and 

 Cephalopoda have the aspect partly of Calciferous and partly of Black 

 River and Trenton fossils. One Chazy Brachiopod {CaincrcUa varians) 

 occurs in N. One trilobite (jhaphus canalis), a calciferous and Chazy 

 species, occurs in I,K, L and in G, H, below. Several of the trilobites 

 in M and N occur at Point L^vis. The bulk of the whole fauna is new. 



1361 



