2 CONTRIBUTIONS TO CANADIAN PALAEONTOLOGY. 



A. FEOM THE WESTERN LAEAMIB. 



(1.) FftOJi THE Porcupine Hill Series. 



No fossils have yet been obtained from the Porcupine Hill Series, 

 proper, though it is probable that a systematic search would result in 

 the discovery of fossiliferous beds. In the sandstones and shales or 

 Shaganappie Point, two miles west of Calgary, however, Sir William 

 Dawson collected a few remains of the shells of fresh water mollusca 

 in 1883. The de^wsits at this place are on the horizon of those of the 

 Porcu])ine Hill Series of the southern part of the district, though for 

 reasons which will be stated more at length in connection with the 

 St. Mary E. Series, the definition of the sub-divisions of the Laramie 

 has not been attempted on the northern part of the map which accom- 

 panies Dr. Dawson's report. The genei-a or species indicated at this 

 locality appear to be somewhat as follows, so far as they can be ascer- 

 tained ; — Three detached valves of a S}}lvmu'in or Lepte&thes, the lai-gest 

 of which may be conspecific with the Splueriuni. rectlcardinale of Meek 

 & Hayden, but the characters of the interior of all three are unknoivu : 

 fragments of a Plajsa, probably of that form of P. Copei, White, which 

 will be described and figured in the piesent paper as the variety 

 Canadensis ; casts of tho interior of the shell of a Goniobasis (?) ; 

 Viviparns Leai, Meek & Hayden ; and a single specimen of a shell 

 which is cither an unusually large form of a new species of Valvata 

 which will be found described a little farther on under the name of V. 

 filosa, or a species of Patuln. 



(2.) Froji the Willow Creek Series. 



In the claj's, sandstones and indurated sands of this sub-division of 

 the Western Laramie, fossils appear to be scarce and are usually not 

 well preserved. The only localities at which any wei-e collected are 

 on the Upper Belly Elver seven miles above the mouth of the Old Man 

 Eiver, and on the Ui^per Belly River near Slide Out, by Mr. E. G. 

 McConnell in 18S1. The species from tho locality first mentioned 

 are — an apparently new species of Unio ; fragments of a small bivalve 

 perhaps referable to the genus Sphcerium; crushed examples of a new 

 species of Patula, which will be described a little farther on, under the 

 name P. ohtusata, from much better specimens collected from the " St. 

 Mary Eiver Series " on tho Old Man Eiver ; and a few badly preserved 

 casts of a Goniobasis, which is probably only a variety of the G. tenui- 

 carinata of Meek and Hayden. On the Upper Belly Eiver near Slide 



