148 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Ordovician age. Of this it may be remarked as a field observation 

 that the Ordovician limestones cover a vast area in the interior of 

 the Gaspe peninsula but nearly everywhere they are or seem to be 

 continuous with the Silurian and the demarkation of the two forma- 

 tions is not yet clear; while the Ordovician shales are similarly com- 

 plicated with the Cambrian shales and these, also, have not yet 

 been clearly defined and probably can not be till they have had some 

 such refined study as has been given to the Ordovician-Cambrian 

 (Hudson River) shale beds of New York. It is, however, those 

 shales that seem to be the home of the cherts now under study and 

 it is fair to give acceptance to either judgment as to the age of these 

 Foraminifera — that they are with apparently like probability either 

 Ordovician or Cambrian. If Doctor Bagg finds internal evidence 

 proving their Ordovician age there is every reason, aside from that, 

 for following him. 



The identifications of species and genera here given are based 

 entirely upon shell sections which do not permit refined comparisons, 

 and as a result of this enforced procedure a conservative treatment is 

 necessitated. To aid the comprehension of these sections, the natural 

 full form of species allied to or, for sake of a name identified with the 

 section, is in most cases given on the plates of illustrations ; and the 

 figures thus introduced have been largely taken from English writings 

 on Mesozoic, Tertiary and Recent Foraminifera. The real purpose 

 of this study is to show the presence and abundance of the creatures 

 in these ancient rocks. 



Doctor Bagg has worked out this problem with skill and satisfac- 

 tion and I am glad to have again, after the lapse of many years, 

 brought him into touch with the work of the New York State Museum, 

 In the performance of this work I have also had the help of my 

 associate. Prof. George H. Hudson, whose exceptional skill in micro- 

 scopic photography and discriminating scientific knowledge has 

 made these diminutive organisms visible. 



John M. Claeke 



