144 



The general conclusioas thus reached as to the age of the plant-bearing beds of British 

 Columbia are, in the main, in accord with views already expressed by Sir "William Dawson, 

 who observed that the plants of the Similkameen valley were Miocene, or possibly Oligocenei. 

 The more northern localities, such as Goal brook at the North Thompson Indian reserve, the 

 Omineca, Finlay and Blackwater rivers, he did not discuss at all. It would thus appear, 

 so far as ^ plant remains are concerned, that the main body ot Tertiary deposits in 

 British Columbia must be Oligoceneor nearly so, but it will be well to ascertain what evidence, 

 if any, is to be derived from animal remains, especially those of fish. 



Lambe'^ has recently contributed an important paper upon this subject, in which 

 he not only reviews the conclusions of Cope, derived from a study of Amyzon brevipinne, 

 Cope, but brings forward new evidence to show ihat this same, as well as another species, 

 occurs in the Tertiary beds of the Horsefly river. 



In 1894, Cope pointed out^ the occurrence of Amyzon brevipinne in the Tertiary of Col- 

 orado, but was at that time unable to determine whether or not they were of the Eocene or 

 Miocene series. The subsequent discovery of the same species in the Tertiary area of British 

 Columbia enabled him to correlate the Colorado and Nevada beds with those of tbe Similka- 

 meen in Canada. It was largely due to this correlation, that Dr. G. M. Dawson was led to 

 consider the whole Tertiary formation of southern British Columbia as probably of Oligocene 

 (Upper Eocene) age.* 



More recently, Lambe has been able to recognize not only A. brevipinne, but also A. 

 commune, Cope, in the Tertiary beds of the Horsefly river. The occurrence of this fish 

 offers very strong evidence as to the Oligocene age of those deposits. 



A comparison of the localities in which Amyzon has been found, with the age of such 

 beds as determined by plant remains, will show what correspondence there may be. 



Tulameen river . . 

 Tranquille river . 



Kamloops 



Horsefly river 

 Quesnel 



Amyzon. 



Oligocene 

 Upper 



Jjooene. 



Eocene 

 Probably 

 UpiJer. 



Plants. 



Oligocene 

 Upper 

 Eocene 



Oligocene 

 proper. 



Oligocene 



Lower 

 Miocene ? 



From this presentation it will appear that the evidence derived from the plants and from 

 Amyzon is substantially in accord, and the conclusion may therefore be reached that the 

 horizons indicated by the floras are in the main correct and of Oligocene age. 



1 Trans. R.S.O., VIII, 1890, iv, 75. 



2 Ibid, N.S., XII, 1906, iv, 151-156. 



3 The Vertebrata of the Tertiary formations of the West. U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr., 1884, XXXV, 



4 Kamloops Map Sheet, Geol. Surv. Can., 1877-78, 76. 



