Theory of Formation of Sedimentary Deposits. 129 



tend, a balance upon which, in the incompleteness of the 

 geological record, the solutions of many problems depend. 



Because of the uneven character of the floor upon 

 which the sediments are laid down the dips of the beds 

 near the floor are unreliable as criteria with reference to 

 the general dip. Where there is evidence that the sedi- 

 ments are some distance vertically above the crystalline 

 floor the dip may be measured with some degree of 

 certainty that it represents the average dip of the 

 sediments in that locality. 



Near Battersea, at which place some of the sandstones 

 are found, the average dip is a little over half a degree to 

 the east of south. What the gradient of the floor upon 

 which they rest may be is not known. It possibly is the 

 same as that of the overlying sediments, it may be even 

 inclined towards them, or what seems to be the more 

 justifiable assumption, it may clip in a similar direction at 

 a somewhat greater angle. If the generally accepted 

 interpretation as to the method of the formation of deposits 

 is correct, the sandstone beds whose shoreward ends are 

 here exposed will gradually merge into argillaceous beds 

 and finally into calcareous members. The argillaceous 

 beds which vertically overlie them will also merge into the 

 limestones further out from the oldland shore. In many 

 of the localities, because of the unevenness of the floor 

 these sandstones are not thick enough to pass over the 

 •crystalline ridges, but are limited by them. In some 

 cases at least the sandstones are probably subaerial 

 deposits rather than subaqueous. 1 



In the vicinity of Kingston the limestones are found 

 to rest directly upon the crystallines, which, from their 

 associations probably formed islands in the Palaeozoic 

 sea. Between Kingston Mills and G-ananoque there are 

 a number of Archean exposures, some of them several 

 square miles in area. Between them and the main 

 crystalline area to the north the sediments rest in more or 



1 Wilson, Phys. Geol., Central Ontario, Tran. Can. Inst., Vol. VII., p. 159,1901. 



