TEIASSIC. 543 



On the Liard McConnell ^^"^ obtained more definite information: 



Beds holding Triassic fossils occur along the Liard in the eastern foothills of the Rocky 

 Mountains. They consist of dark shales, usually rather coarsely laminated, and passing into 

 calcareous shales interstratified with sandstones and shaly and massive limestones. The latter 

 are moderately crystalUne, are dark in color, and are usually very impure. They are harder 

 than the shales and at Hell Gate narrow the valley into a canyon. The beds undulate, usually 

 in easy folds, along the valley, and are exposed in numerous disconnected sections, but it was 

 found impossible in hurrying through to make even an approximate estimate of their thickness. 

 Triassic fossils were found at the Rapids of the Drowned, at Hell Gate, and at one intermediate 

 point. It is probable, however, that a considerable portion of the barren shales east and west 

 of these points are also of Triassic age. All the fossils collected have been examined by Mr. 

 Whiteaves, and the following list of species, nine of which are described by him in volume 1, 

 part 2, of the "Contributions to Canadian paleontology," is furnished by him: 



Spiriferina borealis. 



Terebratula liardensis. 



Monotis ovalis. 



Halobia (Daonella) lommelli Wissman. 



Halobia occidentalis. 



•Nautilus liardensis. 

 Popanoceras mcconnelli. 

 Trachyceras .canadense. 

 Trigonodus? productus. 

 Margarita triassica. 



Triassic beds were not detected along the eastern edge of the Liard Cretaceous basin. They 

 are also absent from the valley of the Mackenzie, as the Cretaceous rocks were found there in a 

 number of places resting directly on the Devonian. 



P 7. WBANGELL MOUNTAINS, ALASKA. 



The Triassic of the Wrangell Mountains and adjacent regions comprises the 

 Chitistone hmestone, which was formerly referred to the Carboniferous, and the 

 overlying black shales and limestones, up to the unconformity with the Kennicott 

 formation (Upper Jurassic or Lower Cretaceous). The facts have been discussed 

 in successive Alaskan reports, of which the latest is one by Moffit and Maddren/"^ 

 who quote from earlier investigators and say: 



In 1907 fossils were collected from the Chitistone limestone at a number of localities between 

 Kotsina River and Chitistone River, and they definitely determine its age as Triassic. Part 

 of these fossils were found in place, but a majority were collected from the talus debris below 

 cliffs of the limestone, yet there was no place where it seemed possible that the limestone frag- 

 ments containing the fossils could have come from any other source than the cliffs above them, 

 and no hesitation is felt in accepting their evidence for the age of the Chitistone. The fossils 

 were determined by T. W. Stanton, who describes them as follows: 



"Several different localities are represented in the collections, but the fossils, with one 

 exception, are all said to be from the Chitistone limestone and closely associated formations. 

 The collection is small and somewhat fragmentary, but it has proved sufficient to show quite 

 conclusively that the beds in question are of Triassic age. The ammonites, especially, are all 

 characteristic Triassic types, and the few brachiopods obtained are also Mesozoic. There is no 

 indication of Paleozoic fossils in any part of the section represented." 



Schrader and Spencer/"® who included the Chitistone limestone in the Car- 

 boniferous, said : 



The Chitistone formation is composed of very massive limestones, without any important 

 intercalations of shale. When weathered, it has a white or gray color, which makes it prominent 

 m contrast with the greenstone upon which it hes, but when broken it is found to have a blue 



