378 Correspondence — Mr. G. J. Sinde — Rev. E. Maule Cole. 



JRBUSCULITES ARGENTEA, MUEEAY. 



Sir, — Though unable to refer to Murray's description of this 

 fossil, the quotations given from it by Mr. E. Etheridge, jun., in 

 the June Number of the Magazine, p. 269, recalled at once to my 

 mind the characters of a somewhat similar fossil I discovered some 

 years since in rocks of Lower Carboniferous age at Arsaig in Nova 

 Scotia. On the shore at this place, near McAras Brook, there are 

 exposed beds of a dark, Oolitic limestone, which, in places, are 

 interpenetrated in all directions with bright glistening threads 

 " resembling broken bits of silver- wire." These occur in curved 

 fragments of about two or three lines in length and about one-tenth 

 of a line in thickness; they are solid, and, so far as I can see, neither 

 grooved nor branched, and in these respects they differ from the 

 forms described by Murray. 



The only other fossils visible in the same beds are very poorly 

 preserved casts of Producti ; their presence supports the opinion 

 expressed by Mr. Etheridge that these glistening threads are merely 

 the long spines of this Brachiopod ; but if this is the case, it is very 

 peculiar that, whilst the shells of the Producti have to a large extent 

 disappeared, their spines should have been preserved in such great 

 numbers and such perfect condition. On this supposition too, it is 

 remarkable that similar spines (?) should not have been noticed in 

 limestones in which Producti abound, for in the beds mentioned they 

 are very conspicuous objects. Inclosed are two small pieces of the 

 rock, showing these spines (?). On one is what appears to be the 

 expanded base of attachment. Geo. Jennings Hinde. 



Toronto, June, 2\st, 1878. 



AGE OP THE EOCKS OF MONTE GENEEOSO. 



SiE, — I have several times had the pleasure of ascending Monte 

 Generoso, a mountain easy of access, which lies between the Lakes 

 of Como and Lugano, and from which one of the finest views on the 

 continent is obtainable. After winding up through chestnut woods from 

 Mendisio for some four miles, the pathway ascends a somewhat steep 

 incline in zigzags. The rocks here are remarkably white and dazzling 

 and might be almost mistaken for chalk. Forsome 40ft. or more below, 

 they are coloured red, similar to the Eed Chalk in Yorkshire. 



On the last occasion of my visit, I met with a French geologist 

 at M. Paston's Hotel near the summit, and from him 1 obtained some 

 information about these rocks which had excited my curiosity, but 

 not enough to satisfy me as to their position relative to English 

 strata. He classed them as follows : — 



JUEA LOMBAED. 



Majolique 

 Calcaire rouge 

 Galcaire gres 

 Calcaire noir 



Conglomeral Marneux 



