150 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



NINETEENTH MEETING. 



Nineteenth Meeting, 26th March, 1887, the President in the 

 chair. 



Exchanges since last meeting, 38. 



Charles Potter and M. O'Connor were elected members. 



Prof. J. Hoyes Panton, M.A., read a paper on " Places of 

 Geological Interest near Medicine Hat," illustrated by dia- 

 grams and Geological specimens. 



Mr. President and Gtentlemkn : — To-night, I purpose taking 

 you with me in imagination, to the banks of the majestic Saskat- 

 chewan, that wooer of many a stream in the North-west; there we 

 shall examine some places of geological interest, and glean something 

 from the fragmentary records, as we find them at that place and in 

 some ravines of more than passing interest not far from that locality. 



Before directing your attention to the places under considei-ation, 

 allow me, in a few words, to outline the striking geological characters 

 of that vast stretch of country extending from the Western Boundary 

 of Ontario to the Rocky Mountains. 



The geology of the great North-west, like its vast plains and 

 immense rivers, is on a magniticent scale. To the eye of the geologist, 

 a grand vision appears, as he contemplates the marvellous panorama, 

 that rolls before him, portraying the geological features of the 

 country lying between the Laurentian rocks to the east, and the 

 lofty mountains of the west ; the former, representatives of the 

 first rocks to triumph over the universal waters of primeval days, 

 the latter belonging to a period comparatively near the summit of 

 the geological series. Between these great natural boundaries we 

 see stretching before us, the three vast prairie steppes of the North- 

 west, rising in succession above each other and distinguished by 

 charactei'istic physical features. 



FIRST prairie STEPPE. 



This fertile region well known as the Red River Valley, is 

 about fifty miles wide at the boundary lin3 vhich separates Canada 

 from the United States, but widens to the north. It has an elevation 



