366 J. Gibson—Salt deposits of Ontario. 
bution of sedimentary beds, but also to render obsolete and 
void all the known theories connected with salt deposits gener- 
ally. On consideration of the oscillations of level necessary for 
the deposition of a vast bed of salt, with the evidence of a sec- 
ond saliferous layer in one perforation only, the writer main- 
tains that, within the limits of this salt-district of Ontario, a 
second saliferous deposit exists universally, at slightly variable 
distances below the first, except, probably, in the neighborh 
of the margin of this ancient geographical depression. 
3. Goderich Company’s well. Feet. 
(1;) Sand, pravely- nnd boulders;2icioete cow etl cs eee 30 
(2.) Soft arenaceous limestone, with a layer of calespar, - ---- 266 
(3.) Hard gray sandstone, with slight traces of salt and petro- 
ie ie ee ee ec he ee 
(4.) Blue magnesian Higesiones. . i> es. ee 330 
(5.) Magnesian limestone, holding numerous crystals of cale- 
110 
Wieer wend aele ee oe eee eee ae 63 
7) teeta ee a ee 45 
Total depth, 1022 
In the above well boring, commenced on the 17th Nov., 1866, 
and at the expiration of exactly 102 days, the salt rock was 
reached at about 1,000 feet from the surface. From this depth 
there was obtained, by pumping, a saturated brine, from which 
large quantities of salt continue to be manufactured. The salt- 
bearing stratum lies immediately at the base of the Onondaga 
formation, and is at once recognized by the presence of salifer- 
ous and gypsiferous magnesian marls lying as a general rule 
above the salt bed. 
4. The Dominion well. Feet. 
(1.) White and blue clays, holding boulders of Huronian and 
aurentian origin, .-_-. .--- BME 3. 
(2.) Water-lime beds (Tentaculite limestone), ee ae 48 
(3.) ft arenaceous Pmpatones, oe ee 362 
(4.) Hard magnesian limestones, ._.._.--.--.------------- = 
(5.) Very hard dolomitic limestones, holding crystals of melan- 
terite (sulphate of iron),.u5.50 2c 5 os coc ose ee 
(6.) Limestone and shale in alternate layers, . oo. -..-=-~<-5- pe 
(7.) Compact limestone and gypsiferous shales, 2s. -s--=-- 4 
(a Hoek telites! i ie oa eh ad eee 21 
Total depth, 1118 
_ After boring through 21 feet of pure rock salt, the underly- 
ing limestone was reached, and at this depth the boring ie 
€ Corniferous limestone is here absent; the first strata reach 
