HAMILTON SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION 131 



No doubt, when the writer felt his sight so impaired as to 

 recognize with considerable difficulty even a well-marked 

 Niagara Chert Sponge from man}' of the non-fossiliferous 

 fragments about it, he may have arrived at the conclusion 

 that the result could only be disappointment. But where 

 organic remains could be closely handled, as along the lake 

 shore, or the rich fossiliferous Niagara shales of Grimsby, 

 Ont., something may be found to attract a little more 

 attention to our Silurian deposits than any Dominion Govern- 

 ment is likely to bestow. " In advancing scientific interests, 

 your Dominion, sir," remarked recently a visitor from the 

 States, " wisely considers, I think, that the chief object of a 

 Geological Survey of a little known county, such as this, is 

 to point out to men where minerals are likely to be found 

 which would attract capital from the States, and add to the 

 wealth of the country." Doubtlessly the visitor was 

 misinformed ; but I am satisfied many people in this locality 

 ignorantly consider the chief object of the officers of the 

 Dominion Geological Survey is to disclose to land speculators 

 where mineral lands are likely to be obtainable. Such 

 individuals care little for the advancement of science, and only 

 look to forward their own selfish interests. 



The lake shore, between Winona Park and Grimsby, 

 presented, during the past collecting season, an unusually 

 favorable appearance for obtaining Cambro-Silurian Drift 

 fossils. The extent of shingle exposed along the Beach was far 

 beyond anything noticed previously, but the quantity of 

 material proved bewildering. Independent of this, I was obliged 

 to devote not a little time to securing additional evidence in 

 support of the assertion already made, viz : That from the 

 true glacial clay and the polished and scratched limestones 

 and shingle embedded in it, displayed along the banks, we 

 could trace the derivation of the majority of the organic 

 remains found on the lake shore. The writer was quite 

 aware few were likely to share, and some would probably 

 oppose, a view contrary to what was generally entertained. 

 On this account, during the past three summers, while we 



