152 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS 



but we may leave the matter for wiser heads than ours to settle, 

 while we resume our researches over the elevated sea-floors. 



Leaving the grey band of the Medina series, close to the city, 

 under the brow of the mountain, so-called, are a number of quarries^ 

 formerly worked for the valuable freestone beds. The base o^ 

 the Clinton is there well exposed, as a good deal of worthless ma- 

 terial for building purposes must be removed before the sandstone 

 is reached. This was carted off or flung down the slope at the base 

 of the elevated plateau. The mounds are noticeable still in many 

 places, though in some cases the grasses have encroached and 

 partly concealed them. Some twenty-five years ago, one had, little 

 difficulty in securing fine specimens, when the softer portion of the 

 mud heaps was washed from the surface, and the thin fossiliferous 

 layers were exposed to the weathering process, Now you could 

 certainly have secured better preserved fossil slabs under such con- 

 ditions than if you obtained them from their places in situ. But 

 if you are unable to point out the exact position of the beds, I have 

 ever considered it a serious drawback to the pleasure of collecting. 

 The plan I adopt is this : Whenever practicable I trace the layer to 

 its original place; sometimes the clay resting on it may conceal in- 

 dications of organic remains, so it may be necessary to put them 

 out on the roof of a shed for a year or two to weather. Some of 

 the Clinton slabs submitted for your inspection underwent a process 

 similar to this. You cannot fail to notice how remarkably weU 

 preserved some of the delicate Bryozoons are. I have so recently 

 called attention to the plant-bearing beds of the Clinton and Ni- 

 agara at a general meeting of our Association, that I think it un- 

 necessary to allude further to this branch of fossil remains. The 

 few specimens since then seen or obtained only strengthen the be- 

 lief already expressed respecting their nature. 



So I propose to request the members of the Geological Section 

 to examine a few fragments of Silurian sea-floors derived from the 

 Rosseaux Creek waterlime beds. Barton, concealed measures of 

 Dr. Spencer, recently exposed in the Marshall quarry, a little above 

 the Albion Mills. A portion of the series now known as our local 

 Barton, may be found to be equivalent to the Waldron, Indiana, 

 Niagara, of Dr. Jas. Hall. On comparing the organic remains they 

 appear identical. The same opinion has also been expressed by 

 my old friend, Mr. Walker, and his son, who has a remarkably fine 



