80 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 
History, “‘ Neglected in Irish schools do you say !” was the indignant 
remark of the Principal of a diocesan establishment. ‘‘ Is not Gold- 
smith’s Animated Nature sufficient for all our requirements in that 
direction?” The writer refrained from reminding the worthy 
domine of the sarcastic comment of Dr. 5. Johnson ; ‘‘ Goldy’s work 
on this subject ! Why, I doubt if he knows the difference between a 
horse and a cow, and, if he does, ’tis the extent of his knowledge.” 
I have obtained for the side trays during the past few months 
a large number of fossils from the glaciated chert beds (the richest 
of all our local rocks in organic remains). From a single field, close 
to the Corporation drain, came nearly all the flint-flake specimens 
we see in our side trays, together with duplicates transmitted to 
Europe and elsewhere. One would imagine after so many years 
researches (over a fourth of a century) by your Chairman and Mr. 
A. E. Walker that not a vestige of a fossil remained in that limited 
space to repay the collector. But the swampy portion this year has 
been planted with Indian corn, and when that was removed the 
surface presented an unusual number of flint-flakes—more than ever 
previously noticed. The time for collecting was very | mited ; 
shortly after the crop was stacked it was removed and the field 
ploughed over... There is now no chance of obtaining specimens 
from it until next spring, when the frost, snow and rain have brought 
the buried flakes again to the suriace. 
These glaciated Niagara beds (eight feet in thickness) are’ well 
displayed at the rock cutting on the railway east of the Reservoir. It 
was from this locality I obtained the sponges and sponge sections 
zn situ. I noticed they were chiefly confined to the upper layers, 
that the surface soil overlying was exceedingly thin in places, and 
I concluded it was probable before the soil was deposited, as the 
limestone was a softer and less durable material than the chert, I 
might find withered out specimens in the ploughed fields on the 
escarpment. The opinion I arrived at was subsequently confirmed. 
I filled my pockets with well preserved sections and sponges in the 
first one I examined. I was informed by the proprietor that several 
years before the ground there had been cleared of the second growth 
of forest timber. Within the last few years the clearing has been 
extended a few hundred yards east of it and the ground recently 
ploughed, but the sponges evidently require a certain time for ex- 
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