Revieivs — Rainy River District, Ontario. 85 



Barlow. It does not seem to have formed part of Lake Algonquin, 

 as suggested by Coleman. 



The economic products of the county are not very important so far 

 as is known : they include gold, silver, and molybdenite, but the 

 only mine actually working produces galena. It is possible, 

 however, that the veins of molybdenite may prove to be of value 

 owing to the present high price of this ore. 



VIII. — Rainy River District, Ontario, Surficial Geology and 

 Soils. By Vf. A. Johnston. Canada Department of Mines, 

 Geological Survey Memoir 82. pp. 123, with 8 plates, 1 text- 

 figure, aud a coloured map. Ottawa, 1915. 



THE Rainy River District lies about half-way between the head of 

 Lake Superior and the Red River of Manitoba, near the 

 International Boundary, and has a total area of 1,051 square 

 miles, mostly covered by superficial deposits of Quaternary and 

 Recent date, underlain by pre-Cambrian rocks. The superficial 

 deposits consist for the most part of boulder-clays and other glacial 

 material, together with lacustrine sediments iaid down in lakes 

 formed during the retreat of the ice-sheets, and a considerable area 

 of recent alluvium, wind-blown sand, and peat. 



A variety of drifts are found in the district formed by the 

 Keewatin and Labradorean glaciers, as well as lacustrine deposits of 

 a marginal lake described as " pro-glacial Early Lake Agassiz ", 

 a predecessor of Lake Agassiz proper: the genesis of this lake is 

 discussed in some detail. 



The main object of this memoir is the study of the soils and their 

 economic possibilities. Much of the country is forest-clad, and the 

 soils have for the most part the light colour characteristic of well- 

 timbered regions, apparently belonging to the "grey forest soils" of 

 the Russian classification : there are, however, large areas of peaty, 

 and what American writers pleasingly call, "muck" soils. Detailed 

 descriptions are given, with mechanical analyses of the soils lying on 

 the different types of surface accumulations : most of them are 

 somewhat heavy in character, the only light soils of importance 

 being the sandy and gravelly loams of the old beach ridges, and the 

 lacustrine sands. The heavier soils, which are for the most part still 

 virgin, appear to be very fertile when properly drained. 



IX. — Canada Department of Mines, Summary Report, 1917. 

 Part D. pp. 46. Ottawa, 1918. 



THIS short report contains descriptions of certain areas in 

 Manitoba which have recently been examined, -largely with 

 a view to their economic possibilities in the direction of mining and 

 agriculture. The districts described include the Schist Lake, the 

 Wekusko Lake, and the Star Lake areas, the gold-bearing region of 

 S.E. Manitoba, the Falcon Lake molybdenite region, and the 

 refractory occurrences of the Swan River Valley. A reconnaissance 

 soil-survey was also carried out along the line of the Hudson Bay 

 Railway. 



