344 Canadian Record of Science 



pally limestone, but it shows for a large part at least 

 that it has been subjected to the action of intense heat, 

 while in some places where excavations have been made 

 there are comparatively thin sheets of Essexite which 

 appear to have been laid up against the limestone, as 

 might have been caused by a moderate volume of lava 

 flowing against it and perhaps held in place by some 

 obstruction until it cooled. At the other end of the 

 Valley near the Cote des Neiges Cemetery gates, there 

 is a small plain which forms the lowest part of the 

 crater. At this point the wall and the floor consist of 

 Essexite, but in a brecciated condition and of a finer and 

 less crystalline character which would indicate that it 

 had cooled more rapidly on the open floor of the crater 

 and 'included in it the broken fragments produced by 

 the exploding gases. 



If this is what occurred we have in it an explanation 

 of how this great depression, Pig. 2 was formed, which 

 explanation is otherwise difficult to find. 



No remains of lava streams are found, so far as I 

 am aware, in the neighborhood of our Mountain, and 

 had they existed it is scarcely probable that they would 

 have been altogether removed, especially when much 

 softer materials have survived. 



We may thus fairly assume that any volcanic activity 

 which may have taken place on Mount Royal, after the 

 opening of the crater, was confined for the greater part 

 at least, to explosions of gases, throwing out ashes and 

 cinders and such lighter materials as may have formed 

 a cone of great height, but so loosely laid down that it 

 was easily removed by the waters of the glacial sea 

 which afterwards swept over its summit. At the same 

 time it need not be assumed that these operations were 

 of a minor character or on a small scale as even in the 

 absence of a true lava flow, the eruption may have been 

 attended with tremendous violence. 



The question has naturally been asked "Will Mount 

 Royal awaken again ? " To such a question, it is obvious 



