Geological Society. 51 



ness, and forming a crust upon a stratum of sandstone which ex- 

 tends from the new church to the western extremity of St. Leo- 

 nard's. They consist of remains of the Iguanodon, and other Sau- 

 rians, and of the Lepisosteus Fittonii. 



Mr. Parish also describes, in his letter, a submarine forest, which 

 he traced at low water, from the western extremity of St. Leonard's 

 to the headland at Bulverhithe, and he is of opinion that it is a con- 

 tinuation of the submarine forest which occurs oft' Hastings. The 

 trees, he says, are chiefly oak, and appear to have fallen towards 

 the sea. 



In the peat forming part of the deposit he found hazel nuts, a 

 variety of seeds, and the remains of beetles and other insects. No 

 tradition has been preserved of the irruption of the sea by which 

 the forest was submerged. 



Nov. 20. — A paper was read entitled, " Notes on the Geology of 

 the North Coast of the River and Gulf of St. Lawrence, from the 

 Mouth of the Saguenay (Long. 69° 16') to Cape Whittle (Long. 

 60°)," by Captain Bayfield, R.N., and communicated by George 

 Bellas Greenough, Esq., P.G.S. 



The line of coast surveyed by the author, and described by him 

 in this memoir, includes above 500 miles. It is traversed by ranges 

 of round-backed hills, rarely exceeding 1000 feet in height, and 

 towards the eastern termination of the district sinking nearly to a 

 level with the sea. In some parts of the coast the hills approach 

 close to the shore; but in others they recede to a distance from it, 

 and the country presents a succession of flats or extensive peat 

 bogs. 



The formations of which the main land and adjacent islands 

 consist, are granitic and syenitic compounds, limestone, a deposit 

 of clay, sand and gravel, and modern alluvial accumulations. 



The granitic and syenitic rocks compose the whole of the hilly 

 districts, with the exception of a tract opposite the Mingan Islands. 

 True granite was noticed only in one place, the prevailing rocks 

 being formed of felspar, quartz, hypersthene and hornblende. 

 Porphyry, passing into syenite, was observed at the falls of the 

 Maniton river; and veins of trap were occasionally noticed traver- 

 sing the syenite. Magnetic iron was found in great abundance 

 along the whole line of the coast, either as a constituent of the 

 rocks or as beds of sand accumulated on the beach. 



The limestone forms the Mingan and Esquimaux Islands, and it oc- 

 curs on the adjacent main land, reposing in horizontal beds on the 

 syenite. It composes also the whole of the island of Anticosta, 

 which lies to the southward of the Mingan Islands, as well as Cape 

 Gaspe on the south shore of the St. Lawrence. It varies consider- 

 ably in its characters, being sometimes compact, at others earthy, 

 arenaceous, shaly, or crystalline; and it generally abounds in fossils, 

 which agree with those found in the limestone of Lake Huron and 

 near Quebec. The strata, except at Cape Gaspe, dip at a very low 

 angle towards the S.W. 



The deposit of clay, sand and gravel forms a scries of horizon- 

 tal Strata, sometimes ^00 feet thick, in the valleys and basins be- 



If 2 



