■collected by CaptaiM Parry. ^1 



ovate cuneiform species of mytilus. One of the fragments of 

 compact brown iron stone exhibits a glossy surface and fracture, 

 approaching to fibrous. 



There are also specimens of sandstone which exhibit a tran- 

 sition into a kind of brown ironstone : in this state it is gene- 

 rally seen as tabular pieces, similar to that which in some parts 

 of Norway, Sfc, is deposited in beds of a few inches' thickness 

 in sandstone, into wbicii it passes. 



In the same manner the hydrous oxyde of iron is seen to pe- 

 netrate clay which here and there slightly effervesces with acids, 

 and is therefore a ferruginous marl. 



There are a few varieties of slate-clay, such as might be ex- 

 pected to occur with coal and sandstone formations : they are 

 very soft, of ash-grey, and greenish-grey colour, and were found 

 overlaid by sandstone at the bottom of ravines. 



The limestone from INIelville Island, especially that from 

 Table-hill, bears the character belonging to that of the oldest 

 fletz or transition formation. The secondary fossils which it 

 contains are chiefly bivalve shells and corallines. None of these, 

 however, are perfect enough to admit of the determination of 

 the genera to which they respectively belong, except a small 

 species of Terebratula of that division which comprehends the 

 Petunculi of earlier writers on petrifactions, and a species of 

 Favosites, which does not appear to differ from F. Gothlandicus. 



There are a few specimens among those from Winter Harbour 

 and Table-hill, which appear to bespeak the presence of fletz 

 trap-rocks in Melville Island ; but being found as rolled stones, 

 they do not allow any judgment being formed of the relation in 

 which they stand to the other formations. I have seen from 

 those parts a few small fragments of calcedony, with opaque 

 stripes like the onyx from Iceland and Ferroe ; fragments of red 

 jasper, and of a jaspery breccia; a piece of a compact horn- 

 stone-like mass of greenish colour mixed with reddish, and 

 small rolled pieces of basalt. There is also among them a spe- 

 oimen of wood-hornstone of greyish-brown colour, with concen- 

 tric yellowish-white rings. Nor should I omit mentioning a 

 similar specimen of wood stone from Byam Martin's Island, 



