DEVONIAN AND ( A KIJONIFKKOUS 69 



section shows a thickness of 1,500 feet of brownish-weathering doloniitic 

 limestones, named b}^ him tlie Intermediate limestones, that from their 

 fauna and position are described as Devonian.* They pass conformably 

 upward into beds of the Banff series, which are regarded as Carboniferous 

 in the main, although, as so commonly occurs in the Rock}^ mountain 

 region, the}' ajjpear to contain also a certain number of forms usually 

 referred to the Devonian. 



A few fossils supposed to be distinctively Devonian, have likewise 

 been found in several other isolated localities in this Laramide range, 

 and as the Devonian S3^stem is well characterized and persistent along 

 the Mackenzie river, as well as in the Manitoba region, it^seems probable 

 that a continuous zone of the same age may ultimately be traced through- 

 out the eastern parts at least of the Laramide range. To the west of this 

 range no distinct evidence of rocks of Devonian age has, however, been 

 obtained, although it is quite probable that such rocks may yet be found 

 as constituents of the lower part of the Cache Creek formation described 

 belo\v.t 



Carboniferous 



In describing the rocks of this period, it will be convenient first to refer 

 to those of the Bow pass, continuing the general east-to-west order pre- 

 viously followed, but premising that this is not the order in w^hicli the 

 respective rock-series have actually been studied or named. 



The mountains of the eastern part of the Laramide range, in the 

 •vicinity of the Bow pass, are largely formed of the Banff Limestone 

 series, having a thickness of about 5,100 feet. This is composed of two 

 thicknesses of limestone, separated by one shaly zone, and the whole 

 capped by a second zone of shales. The aggregate thickness of the shales 

 is about 1,300 feet. Below the Banff series, in this part of the mountains, 

 is the Intermediate limestone, alread}^ noted, and above it is the Earlier 

 Cretaceous, resting upon it without any apparent unconformit3\| Numer- 

 ous fossils have been obtained from the limestones, showing their position 

 to be in the lower part of the Carboniferous system, passing below into 

 Devono-Carboniferous.§ Limestones of the Banff series have now been 

 recognized in many localities scattered along almost the entire length of 



* Ibid., vol. ii, p. 19 D. 



tThe entire field of the Devonian in Canada has lately been reviewed by Dr J. F. Whiteaves 

 (see Presidential address, Section E, Am. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 1899). 



t Annual Report, Geol. Surv. Can., vol. ii (N. S.), p. 17 D. 



§ The existence of Carboniferous and Devonian fossils in this range was first made known many 

 years ago by Dr (now Sir James) Hector. Expluration of British North America, p. 239, Quart 

 Jour. Geol. Soc, vol. vii, p. 443. 



