22 PARALLELISM OF THE QUEBEC GROUP. 



at 13,000 feet. Besides several species of well-known Graptolites that 

 are also found in the Lower Llandeilo rocks and in the Quebec group 

 (Taconic System),* Mr. Salter has been enabled to identify Phyllograpsus 

 angustifolium, Hall, Tetragrapsus bryonoides, Hall, and another species of 

 that genus, Dichograpsus Sedgwicki, n. sp., Didymograpsus caduceus, and 

 some others. He has given the name of Caryocaris Wrightii to a Crus- 

 tacean discovered in these rocks by Mr. Wright. Mr. Salter considers 

 the Skiddaw Slates to be of the same age as the Quebec Group, the 

 giaptolitiferous rocks of Melbourne, and the Tremadoc Slates of "Wales. 



All the above proves, clearly enough, that in the opinion of 

 the best European geologists, the age of the Quebec group has 

 been correctly determined by the Canadian Survey. In Sir W. 

 E. Logan's first paper it is stated that " it appears to be a great 

 development of strata about the age of the Chazy and Calciferous^ 

 and it is well known that for several years past these two forma- 

 tions have been classified in the Provincial Geological Museum 

 as representing the Llandeilo. The cards placed in the cases to 

 indicate this parallelism, refer the Calciferous to the Lower, and 

 the Chazy to the "Upper Llandeilo. This must be understood in 

 a general sense, because, as in England it is impossible to point 

 out the identical line of demarcation between the Llandeilo and 

 the Lingula flags below, ov between the Llandeilo and the Bala 

 group ahove, so it is (with more reason) not possible to parallel, 

 bed for bed, the American with the European sub-divisions of 

 these ancient formations. The great point decided by the Cana- 

 dian Survey in 1860 is this, — that the Quebec group is not the 

 upper part of the Lower Silurian to which it had always been re- 

 ferred by some geologists ; neither does it lie in the primordial 

 zone, as was then and is still maintained by others, but it occupies 

 a position between these two levels. 



The fossils of the Quebec group, are mostly all new species, 

 those which are not new being specifically identical with those 

 which occur in the Chazy and Calciferous, in the typical localities 

 of the north-western division of the Silurian of Canada and New 

 York, where the strata are undisturbed. But not one species has 

 been found which occurs in the Hudson River formation. There are 

 some species of Orthoceras MurcMsonia and Pleurotamaria that 

 might be at first sight taken for well known Trenton or Black 



* The Quebec group is only in part Taconic, as it includes rocks which 

 Emmons expressly excluded. I do not think he will claim any of the 

 Quebec group when he becomes satisfied that it all lies above the Pots- 

 dam. — E. B. 



