JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 51 
Dr. Jas. Hall. The epitheca at the base was absent. The form, 
however, was there, and the long experience I had in collecting Devon- 
ian Corals in Western Canada led me to think that that was a matter 
of little significance or importance, knowing that in many cases this 
characteristic feature had disappeared through some unaccountable 
process of fossilization. The late Dr. H. Nicholson states in “The 
Paleontology of Ontario” that he recognized it also in the Guelph 
formation at Hespeler. 
The smaller corals of the Barton waterlime beds are very 
numerous ( Streptelasma, Zaphrentis ), etc. The upper part is usually 
filled with hardened shale (this is the cup of the coral), which 
renders it difficult to classify. Streptedasma Conulus of Rominger 
is comparatively rare. Before the quarry was opened, and the bed 
of the brook disturbed, or its banks interfered with, I had traced to 
their original positions nearly all the characteristic fossils to be 
found in or near the portion excavated already. Now I find much 
difficulty in securing a single specimen where formerly a dozen were 
obtainable. 
At the head of the quarry filled, where the stone road is crossed 
by a wooden bridge, is a low bank, a portion of which has been 
worn away annually by river floods; there you may find a few inches 
above the bed of the stream itself a shale flag containing in the 
interior quite a colony of the singular graptolite figured and described 
by Dr. Spencer, F. G. S., Phivlographus dubius. On one slab alone, 
close to the bridge at the other side of the road, I.counted 14 dis- 
tinct individuals. After quitting the mineral quarry, Mr. Carpenter 
opened another for road metal. It held very few fossils in poor 
preservation. That was abandoned, probably, because the lower 
portion was found becoming soft and thin. I had reason to regret 
this ; the last charge of powder fired there disturbed a layer lower 
than anyone previously, revealing not only the large Plurotomaria 
Solaroides recently submitted for your inspection, but a fine well 
preserved Zvochoceras as well. ‘The latter was found to be one 
similar to a specimen described and figured in a Report of the New 
York Geological Survey, as occurring in Waldron Indiana beds 
(Niagara Series). It is now in the Redpath Museum at Montreal. 
As well as I ‘can remember, Sir W. Dawson acknowledged the 
arrival of the parcel containing a large collection of the Barton 
organic remains. 
