78 G. M. DAWSON — KOCKY MOUNTAIN REGION IN CANADA 



and Niobrara. In following the coast- southeastward from the Queen 

 Charlotte islands, the local base of the Cretaceous rocks is found at 

 progressivel}'^ higher horizons in that S3^stem. The two lowest members 

 of the Queen Charlotte section are wanting in the northern })art of Van- 

 couver island, and farther on, in the Comox and Nanaimo coal fields, the 

 base of the measures is approximately equivalent to the highest part 

 of the Queen Charlotte Islands section. 



The Cretaceous section at Comox has been divided on lithological 

 grounds into seven, that at Nanaimo into three, members by Mr J. 

 Richardson. While unnecessary to refer to these in detail here, it may 

 be stated that they correspond prett}'^ closely, and that the well marked 

 and abundant fauna and flora of the Upper Cretaceous of the coast of 

 British Columbia characterizes the four lower subdivisions at Nanaimo 

 and the two lower subdivisions at Comox, the thickness of the strata 

 being estimated at 2,715 and 2,020 feet respectivel3\ These subdivisions 

 have been united under the name of the Nanaimo group,* and this is 

 believed to be almost exactly equivalent to the Chico of California and 

 at least approximately to the Pierre of the Great plains. At both 

 Nanaimo and Comox the workable coal seams occur in the lowest sub- 

 division of this grouj). 



As alread}^ noted, beds referable to the Upper or later Cretaceous are 

 known to occur in the far north. The fossils indicate a horizon at least 

 as high as that of the Benton, and it is ver}' probable that furtlier in- 

 vestigation may disclose the existence of a complete ascending series, 

 like that found in the Laramide range and its adjacent foothills to the 

 cast. 



In the Laramide range, the Upper Cretaceous includes representatives 

 of all the Cretaceous groups of the Great i)lains, but generally with more 

 massive develo})ments and altered characters, resulting from ])roximity 

 to an extensive land surface to the westward, from which abundant and 

 often coarse sediments were derived. This is })articularh'' notable in the 

 case of the Dakota, to which allusion has already been made in connec- 

 tion with the Kootanie. It may here be added that contemporaneous 

 volcanic materials, with a thickness of over 2,000 feet in one locality, 

 have been found in this group in the eastern part of the Crows Nest pass.f 



The aggregate thickness of the U])i)er Cretaceous in the southern part 

 of the Laramide range (including the lower portion of tlie Laramie, which 

 ma}^ be regarded as Cretaceous) is found to be about 10,000 feet.J; It is 

 unnecessarj'', liowever, to do more than allude to this section here, as it is 



* Am. Jour. Sci., loe. cit. 

 ^ t Annual Report, Geol. Surv. Can., vol. i (N. S.), p. 09 B. 



I Ujid., p. 1C6 B. 



