ANGUS BROOK, NEW CANAAN AND KENTVILLE. AMI. 449 



Dictyonema flabelliforme, Eichwald, which finds a synonym in 

 the D. sociale, Salter, a characteristic Upper Cambrian fossil. 



In his " Niagara Fossils," Part I, Graptolitidse of the Upper 

 Silurian, Prof. J. W. Spencer writes of Dictyo-nema Websteri, 

 Dawson : 



" This beautiful frond occurs at New Canaan, Nova Scotia, in 

 fawn-colored slate of the Upper Silurian System. It iscelluli- 

 ferous on one side, and in appearance it is more closely related 

 to D. retiforme than to D. gracile," 



In comparing the microscopical characters of D. Websteri with 

 those of D. flabellifor me, Eichwald, especially as they are pre- 

 sented and illustrated in Carl Wiman's classic workf the relative 

 size and proportions of the peculiar rope-like structure of the 

 main skeleton in the rhabdosome is clearly discernible, so that 

 there is practically no doubt as to the identity of the two 

 species. 



It will therefore now be necessary to refer D. Websteti, as a 

 synonym of D. flabelliforme, Eichwald, and to refer the Kent- 

 ville formation, not to the Silurian (Upper) System, but to the 

 Cambrian. In fact, the slates of the Kentville formation of 

 Kings and Annapolis Counties in Nova Scotia, are equivalent in 

 age or are taxonomically similar to the slates of Barachois, and 

 associated localities in the Mira Series of Cape Breton, as well as 

 to the Dictyonema slates of Navy Island, near St. John City, 

 and the slates of Eel River, near Benton, in New Brunswick. 

 All of these are referable to the Upper Cambrian. 



The first rapprochement made between Dictyonema flabelli- 

 forme and D. Websteri, took place some two years ago when the 

 Dictyonema, obtained by Prof. L. W. Bailey, near Benton, along 

 the Eel River, in York Co., N. B., was compared with the 

 specimens of D. Websteri, at present in the collections of the 

 Geological Survey Department, and they were found to be so 

 closely related as not to be practically separable. From speci- 

 mens of D. flabelliforme, obtained on Navy Island, and kindly 



1892? 



See Bull. Mus. Univ., State of Missouri, vol. I, no 1. p. 26, St. Louis, 1884. 

 t Ucber die Graptoliten, Bull. Geol. last. Upsala. PI x. figures 13 and 14, p. 53. 



