REPORT OF THE STATE PALEONTOLOGIST 1900 15 



ful study of their fossil contents, would furnish very interesting 

 results as to the relations of the various Lower Siluric faunas 

 of northern New York to those in Canada, the west and even to 

 homotaxial faunas of Europe, as indicated by forms in the Ryse- 

 dorph hill conglomerate, hitherto only represented in Europe. 

 It is also probable that interesting differences exist between 

 the Low^er Siluric, specially Trenton faunas of eastern and 

 northwestern New York. 



I desire to add that as the investigation of this problem was 

 well advanced in the early part of this year, Dr Ruedemann 

 presented his results in the form of an essay to the Boston society 

 of natural history in competition for the Walker prize awarded 

 by that society annually for essays oh specified subjects. The 

 subject selected for this year permitted the submission of this 

 essay, and the society awarded its maximum first prize of J^lOO 

 to Dr Ruedemann for the excellence of his w^ork. The com- 

 pleted paper with map of the regions studied is herewith sub- 

 mitted for publication as a bulletin of the museum. 



Geology of Erie county and the region about Niagara falls. Prof. 

 I. P. Bishop, of Buffalo, has at my request colored the Buffalo 

 quadrangle of the topographic survey. Prof. Bishop made a 

 special survey of Erie county some years ago at the desire of Prof. 

 Hall, and submitted at that time a map in black and white on the 

 base of the geologic wall map of the state. It has required some 

 additional work on his part to plot his observations and deter- 

 minations on a new base, but this he has done with entire satis- 

 faction, for so much of Erie county as is covered by the Buffalo 

 quadrangle. 



Somewhat similar w^ork has been done in Niagara county along 

 the Niagara gorge by Dr A. W. Grabau. Dr G-rabau's work is 

 done by cooperation between the Buffalo society of natural 

 sciences and this department, with special reference to preparing 

 a map and a paleontologic guide for use in connection with the 

 proposed exhibit of the department at the Pan-American exposi- 

 tion in 1901. 



