50 REPORT OP THE 



edly result in the discovery of data which will settle beyond 

 cavil this long mooted question. 



The examinations of the past season have found this sand- 

 stone in place at the Falls of the St. Mary's river, where it has 

 a measured thickness of at least 18 feet. It is here thin bed- 

 ded, moderately coherent, reddish and blotched with gray, or 

 grayish blotched with red. It presents evidence of having been 

 deposited on an uneven sea bottom, and in shallow water. We 

 find local undulations, and very distinct ripple marks. On some 

 of the surfaces are obscure traces of AlgoB. On some specimens 

 from the Montreal river, not less than three species of fossil 

 plants have been discovered ; " sun cracks" are also frequent. 

 This sandstone is believed to underlie the whole of Sugar Isl- 

 and, and the northern extremity of Sailor Encampment Island. 

 On the Canada shore, opposite the Neebish Rapids, an altered 

 sandstone is found, which apparently belongs to the same for- 

 mation. It is of a light gray color blotched with reddish-pur- 

 ple spots, and having a rapid dip S. 55° W. It is intersected 

 by nearly vertical divisional planes, running at right angles to 

 the dip. Near the northwestern extremity of St. Joseph's Isl- 

 and, a quartzose sandstone appears, striped and banded with 

 red along lines which appear to mark the original planes of 

 stratification. A little further east, rock is again seen resem- 

 bling that at the Neebish Rapids, and having a dip of 20° 

 toward S. 55° W. On the south-east shore of the bay which 

 indents the northern extremity of" St. Joseph's island, a jaspery 

 conglomeratic sandstone is seen, rising in small rounded knobs, 

 possessing a general reddish color, and being destitute of obvi- 

 ous stratification. The small islands at the southern angle of 

 the channel which separates Oampement d'Ours from St. Joseph's 

 Island, are formed by the same rock. It will hereafter be seen 

 that these quartzose and conglomeratic sandstones occur in close 

 proximity to fossiliferous limestones. Quartz rock is next seen 

 on Sulphur Island, north of Drummond's. It is slightly clouded 

 with reddish spots, and occurs in beds from three to six feet 

 thick, with shaly partings. It immediately underlies a lime- 



