PLEISTOCENE FOSSILS. 215 



Lituola and Saccammina. 



A very few minute sandy forms referable to these genera are found 

 among the finer parts of the washings from Riviere-du-Loup. 



Ev<jlypha? 



A single minute test, apparently identical in form with that of 

 Eu'jlypha alveolata, was found in washing the Riviere-du-Loup clays. 



In general terms it may be stated that all the species 

 of Foraminifera found in the Pleistocene still inhabit 

 the gulf and river St. Lawrence. Several species found 

 in the gulf of St. Lawrence have not yet been recognized 

 in the Pleistocene, and these are mostly inhabitants of 

 depths exceeding 90 fathoms, or among the more southern 

 forms found in the gulf. 



On the whole, the assemblage, as in the northern part 

 of the gulf of St. Lawrence at present, is essentially 

 arctic, and not indicative of depths greater than 100 

 fathoms, which would seem to have been the maximum 

 depth of the sea of the Leda clay, and corresponds with 

 well-marked terraces on the hills. 



The sandy forms, which are not uncommon in the Gulf, 

 are very rare in the Pleistocene; but this may be 

 accounted for by the greater difficulty of washing tliem 

 out of the clay, or possibly their cementing material may 

 have decomposed, allowing them to fall to pieces. As the 

 epidermal matter of shells is often preserved, the last 

 supposition seems less likely. The Leda clays are, 

 liowever, usually very fine and calcareous, so that there 

 was probably more material for calcareous than for arena- 

 ceous forms. 



The Foraminifera are very generally diffused in the 

 Pleistocene clays, though much more abundant in some 

 layers than in others. They may easily be detected by a 



