166 Scientific Intelligence. 



Mr. McConnel), have been carried to considerable detail on 

 account of the economic importance of the field. Gold is found 

 in rich quantities in the stream-gravels, and "the product of a 

 few of the 500-foot claims on Eldorado and Bonanza Creeks will 

 exceed a million dollars each ; while a considerable number on 

 the same two creeks (in fact, the majority of the lower Eldorado 

 claims and a few on Hunker Creek) will yield over half a million 

 eacb, and claims running from a quarter to half a million are 

 common on all these creeks and also on Dominion and Sulphur 

 Creeks. Assuming a quarter of a million as the average, and 

 that three-quarters of the claims in the district given above are 

 rich enough to work, the total value approaches $95,000,000, a 

 figure which is well within the mark." 



The borings in Northern Alberta, in attempts to reach the 

 petroleum-bearing strata at the base of the Cretaceous, have still 

 tailed to reach the "tar-sands," which, it is estimated, lie at a 

 depth of about 2000 feet in the Victoria region. Only 1840 

 feet have been penetrated, owing to the extreme difficulties of 

 holding the bore-hole open at great depth. The soft and inco- 

 herent character of the great mass of the overlying rocks requires 

 casing to be carried on pari passu with the drilling. It is esti- 

 mated that the Victoria bore-hole is down to within 250 feet of 

 the "Tar-sands." At Athabasca Landing, the bore-hole reached 

 to very near the top of the Tar-sands. At the Pelican River 

 locality the Tar-sands were reached, and penetrated 87 feet before 

 the gas and tar closed the hole and the working. It is believed 

 that the underlying Devonian limestones are the natural source 

 of the petroleum or maltha accumulated in the "Tar-sands." 



Gold was discovered in the alluviums of Serpentine River, 

 New Brunswick, but in small quantities. In York County, 

 New Brunswick, Silurian fossils have been discovered, indi- 

 cating the probable inclusion of Silurian rocks in folds of older 

 Cambro-Silurian rocks which are more or less altered by meta- 

 morphism. Gold-bearing rocks were exploited in several locali- 

 ties in Nova Scotia. The Plant beds of Harrington River, Nova 

 Scotia, were shown to be of Devonian age. Upper Cambrian 

 fossils were discovered in the older Paleozoic rocks of Cape 

 Breton Island by G. F. Matthew. Trenton fossils from Akpatok 

 Island, TJngava Bay, already reported by Dr. Bell in this Journal 

 (June, 1S99), are referred to. Marine fossils of the Windsor 

 series from Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, were brought to 

 light by Dr. Ami. Discussion of the age of the Riversdale, 

 Horton and Plant beds of St. John of New Brunswick and Nova 

 Scotia, tend to confirm their Carboniferous affinities. The fish of 

 McArra's Brook, Antigonish County, N. S., are correlated with 

 the Old Red hornstones of Hereford district of England, above 

 the passage beds, by A. Smith Woodward. The appropriation 

 used by the Survey was a little over one hundred and eighteen 

 thousand dollars. w. 



9. Fossil Flora of the Lower Coal Measures of Missouri ; by 



