THE LEDA CLAYS. 323 



tion of all drift material, and the hilly character of the 

 country, we find no broad terraced river valleys, such as 

 characterize more temperate regions. On the contrary, 

 the rivers are a succession of ponds, connected by rapids, 

 where the stream plunges from one rocky terrace to the 

 next one below, taking the direction of natural ravines. 

 Though the volume of these rivers during the Terrace 

 epoch, or period of great rivers, may have been greater 

 than now, as evidenced by a few small terraces upon 

 their banks, we have no evidence that they ran in much 

 wider channels than at present, owing to the great height 

 of their banks. 



The Occurrence of the Leda Clays in Labrador. — At 

 the mouth of Salmon River, a small stream flowing into 

 the Strait of Belle Isle three miles east of the mouth of 

 the Esquimaux River, occurred a clay-bank about ten 

 feet high, and situated just above high-water mark, 

 which was dark blue and free from bowlders. It con- 

 tained in abundance Aporrhais occidenialis, Serripes 

 gronlandicus, and Cardium Hayesii. 



This deposit of clay is of more recent age than the 

 deposits noticed below, as it was a few feet higher, and 

 situated more inland. It undoubtedly rests upon the 

 lower fossiliferous gravel-beds, though I did not see the 

 point of contact. 



The most important deposits occurred at Caribou 

 Island at the mouth of the Strait of Belle Isle, at Pitt's 

 Arm in Chateau Bay, and at Hopedale. They consisted 

 of sandy clays and a coarse gravel found between tide 

 marks, and extending beneath the water. Should the 

 present banks now lying off the coast be raised and ex- 

 posed to view, we would have an identical deposit. All 



