20 



near its mouth, lies in the Tertiary formation. Vermilion cliff is three miles above the forks and 

 is composed of rocks of very singular aspect about two hundred feet high and embracing Ter- 

 tiary strata one hundred and fifty feet in thickness. It is much resorted to by Indians for the 

 purpose of securing paint material, and Dawson (8, 130-132) informs us that the colour is prob- 

 ably due to combustion of a bed of lignite in its lower part, after the manner frequently found 

 in the Tertiary Bad Lands east of the Kocky mountains, and also at Queenel, British Columbia. 

 The beds were evidently laid down in the bottom of a lake into which very numerous and 

 copious mineral springs issued, and the deposit resulting from their action is siliceous with a 

 large proportion of calcareous. matter. The lignite beds, the combustion of which produced 

 an alteration of the surrounding rocks, is seven feet in thickness. 



At Vermilion Forks, according to the observations of Bauermann, made in 1882 (2, 32B), 

 the formation is characterized by the presence of sandstones underlying beds of fine white 

 sandstones containing twigs and fragments of coniferous plants. 



The first botanical examination of this locality was made by Sir "William Dawson in 

 1877 (21, 186B), when he recorded the occurrence there of — 



1. Myrica partita, Lesq. 



2. Paliurus ? sp. 



3. Taxodium distichum miocenum, Heer. 



In 1890 the same author made a very important addition to this list by the recognition 

 of not less than ten new species (23, 75-91) as follows : — 



1. Alnites curta, Dn. 



2. Ceanothus sp. 



3. Cinnamomum sp, probably C. ajfine. 



4. Comptonia columhiana, Dn. 



5. Gingko adiantoidus, Ung. 



6. Glyptostrohus sp., probably G. europceus. 



7. Planera longijolia, Lesq. 



8. Nelumhium pygrrnxum, Dn. 



9. Quercus dallii, Lesq. 

 10. Ulmites pusillus, Dn. 



No further addition to the flora of this portion of the Similkameen basin was made until 

 Mr. L. M. Lambe brought out a very important collection of specimens in 1906, and these 

 constitute an essential part of the present report. They were found to include : — 



1. yEsculus 1 sp. Eruit. 



2. Acer sp. Fruit. 



3. Acer sp. Fruit. 



4. Alnus alaskani, Newb. 



5. Betula sp. Cone. 



6. Carpinus grandis, Ung. 



7. Carpolithes sp. Probably some coniferous seed, 



8. Carpolithes sp. 



9. Cinnamomum affine, Lesq, 



10. Comptonia columhiana, Dn. 



