HAMILTON SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION 109 



all the sponges are obtainable at both places. Yet 3^011 may remark 

 our Niagara chert lichenalias present an appearance widely differ- 

 ing. The bryozoons, however, ma}' be the same. For instance, 

 where tlie epitheca (outer skin) oi: LicJienalia Coiicentvica is removed 

 by the weathering process, you can hardly recognise it unless from 

 its circular shape. In like manner internal layers, as it were, may 

 possibly present differing aspects when parts are removed. 



The writer can only submit to this section a few of the sponges 

 and sections obtained since our last meeting. Some of the former 

 and several of the latter (duplicates) were presented to gentlemen 

 from Chicago, Toronto, Bradford, etc. No doubt if all could be 

 placed before you for inspection, you may conclude there does not 

 appear to be any falling off in numbers there. We must not forget 

 since the new city quarry was opened and found to be deficient in 

 graptolites and other fossils, every day is now employed in field re- 

 searches. A few years ago the writer obtained from a single field 

 near the city fourteen complete sponges. None were found there 

 during the past two seasons. Six, eight and ten were not uncom- 

 mon finds in others. The buckwheat strip in a field near the drain 

 was favorable for collecting when the crop was removed, being 

 quite bare and there the majority turned up of late. Even places 

 miles from Hamilton, where one had no difficulty formerly in get- 

 ting a score of sponge sections in a day, seldom furnish us now 

 with more than a few, previously rejected probably as hardly worth 

 collecting. 



CIvINTON AND MEDINA. 



The abandoned Medina freestone quarries to the east of Ham- 

 ilton are so completely concealed by a dense forest of a weed called 

 sweet clover that I fear we have little to expect in the shape of a 

 collection in that direction in future. The Clinton shale contained 

 man}^ well-preserved corals, stromatoporse and brachipods, and the 

 impure sandstone flags a little above the freestone building beds 

 presented great numbers of f ucoids with the conical roots embedded 

 in an upright position. The late Dr. Nicholson, F.G.S., in his 

 work, " Pal aeon tolog}' of Ontario," could never have .seen even an 

 ordinary specimen of the plant, or he would not have expressed 

 any doubts regarding its nature. I am perfectly satisfied he could 



