192 Cave in the Trenton Limstone. 



measures are rich in sigillarise and Ferns, as well as Lepi- 

 dodendra. The Upper Coal-measures especially abound in Conifers 

 Calaraites and Ferns. Paloeoniscus, Gyrolepis or Acrolepis, Cen- 

 trodus, Rhizoclns, and Ctenacanthus are the chief fossil fishes of 

 this Lower Carboniferous series. Unio-like shells are nearly the 

 only remains of Molluscs. 



ART. XIX. — On the Existence of a Cave in the Trenton Limstone 

 at the Cole St. Michel, on the Island of Montreal. By 

 George D. Gibb, M.D., M.A., F.G.S., Member of the Cana- 

 dian Institute ; corresponding Member of the Natural History 

 Societies of Montreal, and of Boston, and of the Literary and 

 Historical Society of Quebec. 

 A peculiar interest is at all times attached to the discovery of 

 caverns, more especially to the paleontologist if they have con- 

 tained an abundant harvest of organic remains ; a large number 

 of extinct fossil mammalia, at the present moment, would be un- 

 known, but for the accidental opening into these caves. North 

 America is preeminently celebrated for its remarkable caverns* 

 among which the Mammoth cave in' Kentucky and Weger's Cave 

 in Virginia are well known. So far as I can learn, Canada pos" 

 sesses but few indeed. The neighbouring Provinces of New 

 Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, have not as yet 

 afforded any published evidence of their presence. 



When a lad I made several ineffectual attempts to discover a 

 cave said to exist in the Montreal mountain, and although foiled 

 in my efforts, the impression remained on my mind that there was 

 a cave somewhere on the Island or Montreal. That impression 

 has recently become confirmed, by an interview with a friend in 

 London, who, many years ago was actually inside of it. 



Now, although it is by no means of such wonderful magnitude 

 and proportions as those I have just mentioned, it still deserves to 

 be placed upon record, so that it maybe examined by some com- 

 petent geologist, and a more accurate description of it published 

 than this pretends to be. 



The cave exists on the borders of a limestone ridge, running in 

 a N. E. and S. W. direction which skirts a number of farms back 

 of the main road at Cote St. Michel. Its dimensions are not very 

 great, being some twenty-five yards or more in depth, with a width 

 of two or more yards. The latter varies a good deal and is some- 

 what irregular, but the roof is considerably wider than the floor, 



