ON CANADIAN PLEISTOCENE FLORA AND FAUNA. 527 



Scarborough Heights. 

 +Larix americana. 



Of these, five are additional to the species previously reported, while 

 one is new {Larix americana) to the deposits of the Don Yalley. 



(6) Leaves and Fruits. — In 1894-5 Mr. Townsend collected a large 

 amount of material from Taylor's brickyard, which was subsequently 

 deposited in the Museum of the Geological Survey at Ottawa, and during 

 the past winter was placed in my hands for study. All of this material 

 was extremely friable, as the matrix consisted of clay. It was, therefore, 

 necessary to carefully size it before detailed study could be made. For 

 the benefit of future collectors it may be pointed out that where leaves 

 are found in soft clay, and are therefore represented almost entirely by 

 mere impressions, the finer details of the venation — an essential element in 

 the determinations — do not appear until after the material has been sized. 

 This should be done by immersion of the specimen in fish glue or alcoholic 

 shellac, sufficiently thin to permit of thorough penetration. The shellac is 

 to be preferred, not only because of the greater ease with which it pene- 

 ti'ates the matrix, but because of the fact that no damage will result if the 

 specimen accidentally comes in contact with water. 



The greater part of this material proved to be new, and it thus gave a 

 direct and important addition to previous lists. Very rarely, however, 

 were the leaves at all perfectly preserved. The specimens were fragments 

 only, and but few cases exhibited even the margin. Determinations, 

 therefore, had to be based chiefly upon the character of the venation. It 

 will thus be seen that such determinations must of necessity be subject 

 to a certain element of error, particularly in cases like Ulmus, Fagus, 

 Carpinus, Ostrya, etc., where the venation is closely similar ; but by very 

 careful comparison with leaves recently collected, and a critical study of 

 the direction, average interval and branching of the veins, it is believed 

 the error from this source has been reduced to a minimum. However, in 

 all cases where there seems to be reason to believe a doubt exists the 

 name is followed by a query — a rule which applies to all species throughout 

 the list. 



More recently Professor Coleman has placed in my hands a smaller 

 collection of leaves from the same locality. While many are specifically 

 identical with those of the Townsend collection, others are new, and thus 

 still further extend the list. The following are the species found, with 

 their localities : — 



Taylor^s Brickyard. 



Acer pleistocenicum, Penh. 



*Acer spicatum. Lam. 



*Crat8egus tomentosa, Linn. Var. punctata. Gray. 



*Carya alba, NiM. 



*Eriocaulon-septangulare (?), With. 



*Festuca ovina (?), Linn. Spike. 



*Fraxinus americana (?), Linn. 



*Fraxinus sambucifolia. Lam. 



tPopulus balsamifera (?), Linn. 



tPopulus grandidentata, Michx. 



