434 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



During the prosecution of this study of the New York Guelph 

 horizon and the distribution of its fossils, typical localities in 

 the province of Ontario were visited, the sections of the strata 

 carefully studied and quite extensive collections made at Gait, 

 Hespeler and Elora. The earliest fossils described from the 

 Canadian sections were those given by James Hall in vol. 2, 

 Paleontology of New York. Prof. Hall visited the region in 1847 

 before the stratigraphic relations of the series had been care- 

 fully studied by Sir William Logan and Robert Bell. Hence, 

 in describing the organisms collected, he referred them to the 

 " Onondaga salt group " together with the few remains taken 

 from what he then believed and what has since proved to be the 

 same horizon. The Canadian paleontologists, principally Dr 

 Whiteaves, have given full accounts of the composition of the 

 Guelph fauna, and at the time the collections were made for 

 those studies, Elora and Hespeler were the most productive of 

 the localities; latterly, through a diminished demand for the 

 rock for construction purposes, less is now accessible at these 

 localities in favorable condition for exploitation of the fauna, 

 and neither is at present as interesting or productive as the 

 various exposures about the beautiful village of Gait. 



As shown here, the rock section begins on the east side of 

 the bank of the Grand river just below the Grand Trunk rail- 

 road station (Ballantine's quarry and kiln), where are exposed, 

 reading from the bottom : 



1 A yellow, very sandy dolomite in compact layers carrying 

 Megalomus in immense quantities and numerous gastropods, 10 

 feet; 



2 Thinner and grayish slabby dolomites running up to and 

 above the railroad track, 20 feet; 



3 Darker, compact dolomite, 5 feet; 



4 Thin, grayish yellow, slabby layers with gastropods, 10 

 feet. 



The entire section from the river bank to the top of the bank 

 above the limekiln is not less than 55 feet. This locality proved 

 to be the best in the vicinity for the acquisition of the charac- 

 teristic fossils of the fauna. The lower layers of yellow dolo- 



