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J. W. Dawson—Skeleton of a Whale from Ontario. 201 
Remains of the Beluga, or small white whale, were found by 
the late Dr. Zadock Thompson, author of the “ Natural History 
of Vermont,” in the marine clay i in the township of Charlotte, 
‘Vermont, at an elevation of 150 feet above the sea. They 
were associated with shells of Saxicava and Leda. The species 
was supposed tobe distinct from the B. Catodon Gray, and was 
named by Thompson B. Vermontana. I have found detached 
bones of Beluga in étis Post-pliocene clays of Riviere du Loup, 
and considerable portions of a skeleton were found in the exca- 
vations for the Intercolonial Railway, on the south side of the 
Baie des Chaleurs, and were described by Gilpin in the Trans- 
actions of the Nova Scotia Institute of dasat Science.* 
Bones have also been found in the brick clays near Montreal, 
and a specimen was discovered several years ago in sand holc- 
ing Sagxicava, near Cornwall, Ontario. The last named speci- 
men was studied by Mr. Billings, and its bones compared with 
those of the modern species in the McGill College Museum. 
On this evidence Mr. Billings concluded that it belonged to the 
differences in modern spec 
But though the Beluga, whidh now extends its excursions 
far up the St. Lawrence, and has even been captured in the 
vicinity of Montreal, occurs as far west as ornwall; no 
* ee of the larger whales have, so far as I am aware , bee en 
found so far inland, until the discovery of the specimens if 
ferred to in the present note. These were found, as I a 
informed by Archer Baker, Esq., General Saperinvendent of 
the Canada Pacific Railway, “ina ballast pit, at Welshe’s, on 
the line of the C. P. Railway, three miles north of Smith’s 
Falls, and thirty-one miles north of the St. Lawrence River, in 
the Township of Montague, County of Lanark. They oceurred 
in gravel at a depth of 30 feet from the surface, and about 50 
feet gee ke the so She face of the pit.” 
n, C. H., has been kind enough to obtain for me 
the alevasgn of the - rd where the remains were found, as 
“ngvag by the railway levels, It is 420 feet above the level 
Se fawrands at Hoche aga, or as nearly as possible 
ic petite sea-level. It is interesting to observe 6 this cor- 
responds exactly with the height of one of the sea terraces on 
the Montreal mountain, and is only 80 feet feat than the 
well-marked beacii with sea shells above Céte des Néiges, on 
the west side of the mountain. The highe Sei level at hia 
Post-pliocene marine shells are known to occur on 
mountain is near the park-keeper’s house, ae an elevation “of 
* Volume ii, 1874. 
Am, Jour. eee Series, VoL. XXV, No, 147,—Manca, 1883. 
