NOTES ON THE LATE COLLECTING SEASON 



I might possibly obtain a few lyichenalias and sponge sections, 

 but concluded there was onl}^ a remote chance of getting 

 any complete sponges unless accidentally. Yet I was 

 agreeably surprised to find mj^ anticipations proved quite 

 incorrect. One of the fields near the Corporation drain 

 furnished me, when the oats were removed, wnth two speci- 

 mens, not, however, completely weathered out of the flinty 

 masses in which they were enclosed ; another field more 

 distant from the city, under a similar crop, furnished four 

 or five others, and the further end of the field, where pota- 

 toes were planted, yielded up two others in good preserva- 

 tion, which seem to differ from any Tennessee specim.ens 

 known to me. As these may possibly be unknown to 

 science, I sent them away to the British Museum for closer 

 examination. Subsequent to the discovery of the latter, I 

 was persuaded to give " Specks," discarded some time ago, 

 another trial. I was not satisfied they would be of much 

 assistance in fossil hunting, but like a Canadian statesman, 

 in a weak moment I yielded, and the result proved more 

 satisfactory than was expected, for the first time I tried 

 them on I managed to pick up two exceedingly minute 

 Astylospongias, .which never could have been found with- 

 out them perhaps. 



Dr. Parks, of Toronto University, having informed 

 me he intended to study and publish a paper on the 

 Stromatoporse family, the writer remembered a field on 

 the brow of the Niagara Escarpment, not far from the 

 railway rock cutting, where he obtained several years 

 ago specimens of a chert Stromatopora which he believed 

 might have been unknown to the late A. B. Walker, 

 or Sir W. Dawson. On proceeding to the place indicated, 

 a good but not a perfect one was discovered in a portion of 

 the field planted with tomatoes. This as well as a few 

 others from the Clinton and Barton Niagaras, which turned 

 up unexpectedly, I forw^arded to the Professor. He re- 

 ceived previously from Hamilton another member of the 



