84 Mr. G. M. Dawson on Foramimfera 



five riclmess of the localities, as much often depends on the 

 amount of material at disposal. This is especially the case 

 when comparing- dredgings with soundings. 



The general aspect of the Gulf-of-St.-Lawrence Foramini- 

 fera is northern, and in many places closely resembles the 

 fauna of the Greenland coast and the Hunde Islands, as given 

 in Parker and Jones's memoir (Phil. Trans. 1865). The gulf, 

 at least so far as its Foraminifera are concerned, evidently 

 belongs to the Arctic province, the limits of which skirt the 

 Banks of Newfoundland, and pass thence southward to Cape 

 Breton. 



The refrigeration of its waters depends on the arctic current, 

 which, entering the Straits of Belle Isle, floods the whole bottom 

 of the gulf with water almost at the temperature of the Arctic 

 seas. To these conditions the series of collections from Gasp^ 

 offers somewhat an exception, and is of a slightly more southern 

 character, both as regards the species represented and the de- 

 velopment wdiich they attain. This difference depends on 

 purely local causes, which, while slightly changing the cha- 

 racter, give opportunities for a very abundant development of 

 Foraminifera, more especially of the arenaceous forms. Gasp^ 

 Bay in no part exceeds 50 fathoms in depth, is about twenty 

 miles in extreme length, well land-locked, and distm'bed by 

 no other current than that caused by the ebb and flow of the 

 tide. The depth is not so great as to allow of the incursion of 

 the cold and deep layer to any great extent ; and the proximity 

 of land and the shelter thus afforded tend still further to modify 

 its temperature. 



The bottom, in most of the deeper parts, is composed of fine 

 sand and mud ; and this it is which favours the very large 

 development of arenaceous forms. 



Past the mouth of Gasp^ Bay sweeps the very strong tidal 

 current of the St. Lawrence ; and immediately we pass the 

 shelter of Ship Head and come within its influence, the changes 

 in the Foraminifera become strikingly apparent. The bottom 

 consisting for the most part of clean gravel or coarse sand, 

 most of the arenaceous forms disappear at once, and, instead 

 of the abundance of Nonioninas and Miliolas previously found, 

 a very large proportion consists of Planorhulina Iobaf?iIa, 

 which can hold its own, attached to seaweeds and polyzoans. 

 Polystoniella arctica also becomes somcAvhat prominent, while 

 the Lagenid^ and Entosolenidas appear in abundance. 



What few sandy forms do occur are depaujjerated and com- 

 posed of very coarse particles. The Foraminifera as a w^hole, 

 how^ever, are very abundant, and in some samples dredged by 

 Mr. Whiteaves almost equal in quantity those in the deeper 

 Atlantic soundings. 



