112 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS. 
with an of the figures given by “ Billings” in “The Paleozoic 
fossils, Canada,” I thought it better to forward it to Ottawa for 
acceptance and comparison. Dr. Whiteaves in reply said the 
fossil forwarded was “a Cyrtodonta,” and as he did not say 
that it comes under the head of any species described by his 
predecessor in office, perhaps we may infer that it may prove 
to be new. It is a singular fact that the less promising 
shingle at Winona last summer yielded the greater number of 
rare fossils. With no indications, few collectors would care 
to lose time in breaking up unpromising material; yet it was 
from such, as { stated, that the hammer revealed inside a weil 
preserved value of the Ohio “Orthodesma curvata.” This 
was forwarded to the British Museum. Another specimen, 
somewhat inferior as regards preservation, was transmitted 
previously to the Dominion Geological Survey Office, Ottawa, 
through the parcel post. The writer thinks if a proper repre- 
sentation were made to our Postmaster-General (who is al- 
ready displayed far more liberality than any of his predeces- 
sors, as the writer knows well from the admission freely into 
Canada of ancient pottery, etc.), he might be induced to alter the 
rules regarding small parcels through the post. At present 
we can send to “the Director of the Dominion Geological Sur- 
vey, Ottawa,” free, small packages of fossils for “the National] 
Museum” not weighing over 8 ounces. Many specimens are 
injured or completely destroyed by endeavoring to make them 
light enough to transmit. As a general rule, the ones obtain- 
able in our local Chert beds are brittle and difficult to extract, 
and many rare organic remains are lost altogether that might 
not have required any reduction as regards weight if “ the Post- 
master-General ” could see his way to permit the officers of the 
postal department to receive packages of 16 oz. instead of 8 oz., 
which are merely contributions to “the National Museum.” 
The suggestion is respectfully offered solely in its interest. 
During the past summer the writer managed to secure a 
rare Ohio fossil, which has not been discovered heretofore in 
Ontario probably. Unfortunately, in endeavoring to reduce 
the weight of the matrix to 8 oz. it was so much injured that 
