34 THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 
far between. Promising crops of clover and grass, as well as other 
things not conducive of success, were noticeable in every direction, 
but fortunately a few places near the city, and others beyond the 
reservoir on the escarpment, presented a more hopeful showing, and 
as they were well known to have yielded many specimens in previous 
years, it was expected a few, at least, this time might reward research. 
This proved to be the case, and several well preserved sponges and 
sections from the glaciated Niagara chert beds were forwarded to 
London, Dublin, etc. 
Perhaps the restricted ground examined was more carefully 
searched than ever before, and to this we may partly attribute any 
success which may be claimed. There appeared to be very 
slight prospect of obtaining from these few curtailed points of 
observations many specimens unknown to scientific investigation, 
but we felt it incumbent on us to do what we could to furnish a few 
at least, and on the whole were tolerably successful. ‘The field 
which presented so many complete sponges last year, some fourteen 
if I recollect aright, revealed only two on the present occasion. 
This was the more disappointing, for much was expected from a 
portion which had been under a pea-crop, and when this is harvested 
the ground is left quite bare and specimens can be easily detected 
on the surface. Indeed, in the case of the two obtained, their dis- 
covery was Owing to turning over the lumps of chert in which they 
were embedded. It must not be forgotten that the early frost 
usually brings to the surface many sponges and sections, and if 
snow-falls do not interfere and cover up the ground several others 
may be added yet to our collections. 
Among the more interesting sponges recently acquired is a fine 
specimen of Awlocopina Granii (Billings). Not complete by any 
means, but perhaps all the more interesting for all that, since nature 
has accomplished what the lapidary is sometimes directed to do, 
viz., to cut the sponge so as to display a vertical section. (The 
writer has often noticed while such sections are rare, transverse ones 
are of frequent occurrence). 
One of the Astylospongias appears to be rather rare in the 
glaciated chert beds. The grooves are shallow and lobes very 
slightly raised. The existence of this sponge was first suspected 
from finding the transverse sections differ from ones better known, or 
