Notices of Memoirs — Geological Survey of Canada. 363 



position of these beds is argillaceous, with a large proportion of 

 calcareous matter. Their colour is of a light greenish-grey, and the 

 effect of weathering upon the matter is to develope a sort of spheroidal 

 concretionary structure entirely independent of the original bedding 

 and lamination. This spheroidal structure is probably partly or 

 wholly induced by meteoric action. The beds are an upward con- 

 tinuation of the Nucula-bed, being similar in composition, and are 

 part of the strata numbered 11 to 17 in the section given in my 

 paper in the Journal of the Geological Society, vol. xxii., p. 571 ; 

 and I propose to term them the Nodosaria-beds. They rarely contain 

 any molluscan remains, but are stored abundantly with Foraminifera 

 characteristic of deep water. I append a list of the forms I have 

 been able to determine, including those of the Asphalt-bed. These 

 determinations are only approximate, and the geologist will not 

 expect from me a very exact statement of the varietal or subvarietal 

 names of the forms, which can scarcely be given except by those 

 who, like Messrs. Parker and Eupert Jones, have devoted great atten- 

 tion and study to these minute but beautiful shells. I trust, however, 

 to place the material in the hands of those able to do more justice to 

 the subject, and I only intend the present communication as a record 

 and ani^ouncement of the discovery. So far as I am able to judge from 

 liie Foraminifera now discovered, the facts appear to lend a further 

 support to my view that the Nucula-beds of Barbadoes and Trinidad 

 were deposited in moderately deep water. The depth of water seems 

 to have increased after the deposition of the Nucula-beds, as seems to 

 be evinced by the Nodosaria-beds of Trinidad and the Polycystina- 

 beds of Barbadoes. 



List op Foraminifera from the Lower Miocene strata of San Fernando, 



Trinidad. 

 NummuUna ramond, Defr. Tar.* JVodosaria pt/rula, Orb. 



Orhitoides Mantelli, Norton* Bentalina elegans. Orb. 



Amphistegina vulgaris^ Orb.* Jiliformis, Orb. 



Spiroloculina niticla, Orb. communis, Orb. 



Glandulina leevigata, Orb. Orhulina universa, Orb. 

 Nodosaria glabra. Orb. Glohigerina biilloides, Orb. 

 hispida, Orb. Polymorphina gibba, Orb. 



raphanistrum, Linn Rotalia orbicularis, Orb. . 



ovicula, Orb. ■ corallinarum. Orb. 



* These three species are only found in the Asphalt-bed and gypseous Marls. 



Several other forms have not been satisfactorily determined. 



IV. — Geological Subvey of Canada. Eepokt of Progress for 

 1871-72. By A. E. C. Selwtn, Director. (Montreal, 1872.) 



THE progress of the Geological Survey ought to be very satisfac- 

 tory to the Government of Canada, so ably and effectively has it 

 been carried on for many years by Sir W. E. Logan, F.E.S., and for 

 the last three years by the present Director, Mr. Alfred Selwyn, 

 F.G.S. Since the first publication of the Eeports in 1843, they have 

 steadily and annually continued, and, together with other sj)ecial 

 reports, descriptions of organic remains, a great geological map of 

 the Dominion of Canada, and many smaller maps and sections, 



