26 



hio-her subdivision, which he called respectively the Edmonton and the Paskapoo series. 

 The Edmonton series he regarded as closing Cretaceous times, the Paskapoo rocks he 

 considered as the representatives of the beginning of the Tertiary epoch. The Paskapoo 

 series is a fresh-water deposit, the Edmonton series is of brackish-water origin. 



Of the Belly Eiver series Dr. Dawson writes^* : — " in the region of the Bow and Belly 

 rivers, the Pierre is underlaid by an extensive fresh and brackish-water series, consisting 

 of sandy argillites and sandstones ; the upper portion is characteristically pale in tint, 

 the lower generally darker and yellowish or brownish. This has been called the Belly 

 Kiver series, and appears to correspond precisely to that occupying a similar stratigra- 

 phical position on the Peace river, and there designated the Dunvegan series. These 

 indicate the existence of a prolonged interval in the western Cretaceous area, during 

 which the sea was more or less excluded from the 'gion, and its place occupied for long- 

 periods by lagoons or fresh-water lakes. Below these, both in the region of the Bow and 

 Belly and on the Peace rivers, is a second series of dark shales which may probably 

 represent the Benton group of the Missouri sections." 



The approximate maximiim ascertained thickness of the series, according to Dr. 

 Dawson, f is 9 10 feet. 



The same authority, in describing these rocks, remarks,! that "the separation of the 

 lower, or yellowish and banded portion ot the Belly Eiver series," from the tipper or 

 pale part, " is made merely for convenience of description, and is probably not 

 warranted in any other sense. The distinctive characters of the two portions of the 

 series are indeed so indefinite that though little hesitation might be felt in relegating a 

 given large exposure to one or other, the points of difference vanish when any attempt 

 to draw a precise line is made." 



The following section, as seen on Fossil coulee, in the Milk river district is regarded 

 by Dr. Dawson || as a representative one of the upper or pale part of the series ; the beds 

 in descending order are : — 



Feet. Inches. 



Dark gray, soft, sandy clay C 



Yellowish sand or soft sand.stone 4 



Gray, soft sands, with some bands of ul.iy 15 



Gray, soft sandstone 1 



Greenish-gray clay .^ 



Gray, soft, shaly sandstone 1 



Gray, soft, sand and sandy clay 4 



Greenish-gray clay 5 



Nodular layer of isnpure calcareous ironstone 1 G 



Yellowish, fine sand, or soft sandstone 4 G 



Dark gray, sandy clay 3 6 



Greenish-gray sands, irregularly hardened and forming projecting cornice- 

 like layers of sandstone 8 6 



Greenish clay, with large impure septarian ironstone nodules 8 



* Descriptive sketch of the Physical Geography and Geology of the Dominion of Canada by .'V..R.C. Sclwyn and 

 G. M. Dawson, 1S84, p. 40. 



tReport of Progress, Geol. and Nat. Hist. Survey of Canada. 1882-3-4, p. 112 c. 

 J Ibid, p. 117 c. 

 Ibid, p. BO c. 



