218 G. M. Dawson — Geology of British Columbia. 



formation of the vicinity of Tatlayoco Lake, and fossils found in 

 it have been described as Jurassic.^ From analogy now developed 

 with the Queen Charlotte Island fauna, however, Mr. Whiteaves 

 believes that these beds are also Cretaceous. 



Still further north the Cretaceous formation is not confined to the 

 vicinity of the Coast Range, but spreads more widely eastward, 

 being in all probability represented by the argillites and felspathio 

 and calcareous sandstones of the Lower Nechacco ; and, as the 

 explorations of 1879 have shown, occupj'ing a great extent of 

 country on the 55th parallel about the upper part of the Skeena 

 and Babine Lake. They here include felspathio rocks of volcanic 

 origin similar to those of the Iltasyouco, which are most abundant on 

 the eastern flanks of the Coast Eange, and probably form the lower 

 portion of the group. Besides these volcanic rocks, there is, however, 

 a great thickness of comparatively soft sandstones and argillites, 

 with beds of impure coal. The strata are arranged in a series of 

 folds more or less abrupt, and have a general north-west and south- 

 east strike. It is not impossible, from the general palseoutological 

 identity of the rocks of the interior with the older of those of the 

 coast, that the Skeena region may eventually be found to contain 

 valuable coal-seams, but this part of the country is at present very 

 difficult of access, and there is no inducement to explore it.^ 



JRocJcs of the Vancouver and Coast Ranges. — Previous to the deposit 

 of the Cretaceous, the older formations had been folded and dis- 

 turbed, and were in degree of alteration much as at present. While 

 there is therefore no difficulty in distinguishing the Cretaceous from 

 the Pre-cretaceous rocks, the subdivision of the latter becomes in 

 many instances a difficult matter, the generally wooded and 

 inaccessible character of the country adding to the obscurity in 

 many districts. "Without therefore entering into detail in regard to 

 the various groups, which it has been found necessar}'^ provisionally 

 to constitute and name, I shall attempt to give a short connected 

 sketch of these older rocks, beginning with those of the Coast. 

 In 1872 Mr. Eichardson described a section across the centre of 

 Vancouver Island,^ comprising a great thickness of beds which have 

 been closely folded together and overturned. These consist of lime- 

 stones, generally crystalline, but varying in texture and colour, 

 interbedded with compact amygdaloidal and slaty volcanic rocks 

 of contemporaneous origin. These are classed generally as 

 " diorites " in the report cited, but admit of separation into several 

 different species of igneous rocks, not here necessary to detail. 

 Argillites also occur, but are apparently not prominent in the 

 section. Fossils are found abundantly in some of the limestones, 

 and though invariably in a poor state of preservation, the late 

 Mr. Billings was able to distinguish, besides crinoidal remains, 



1 Report of Progress, Geol. Survey of Canada, 1876-77, p. 150. 



2 I am indebted to Mr. J. F. Whiteaves for facts in regard to the palceontological 

 evidence of the horizons of the subdivisions of the Cretaceous, communicated in ad- 

 vance of the publication of part iii. of the Mcsozoic Fossils. 



3 Eeport of Progress, Geol. Survey of Canada, 1872-73, pp. 62-56. 



