Art. II. Descriptions of new organic remains from the Creta- 

 ceous rocks of Vancouver's Island ; by F. B. Meek. 



The fossils described in the following paper were placed 

 in my hands for investigation by Dr. J. S. Newberry, Geolo- 

 gist of Lieut. Williamson's north California and Oregon ex- 

 ploring expedition, to whom they were sent through the 

 Smithsonian Institution, from a locality known by the name 

 of Nanaimo on Vancouver's Island. The collection, although 

 containing few species in a condition to be characterized, 

 is nevertheless one of much interest, since it furnishes the 

 first evidence we have had of the occurrence of Cretaceous 

 rocks along the western coast of North America. Indeed 

 it is but recently through the investigations of Prof. Trask 

 and Dr. Newberry, in north California, we have had any ac- 

 counts of the existence of strata of that age west of the 

 Rocky Mountains. 



Judging from the nature of the material in which the 

 specimens are embedded, as well as from the fossils them- 

 selves, this collection must have been obtained from two 

 distinct formations. What relation they bear to each other 

 Dr. N. was unable to ascertain. One of them appears to 

 be a clay deposit, the fossils of which are enveloped in con- 

 cretions of dark colored, very hard, argillo calcareous mat- 

 ter, breaking with an imperfect conchoidal fracture, and 

 in all respects exactly similar to the concretions surround- 

 ing the fossils in one of the upper Cretaceous formations 

 of Nebraska Territory. From this bed I have been able 

 to characterize and identify the following species, viz : 

 Cardium scitulum, Area Vancouverensis, JVucula Traskana, Den- 

 talium Nanaimoensis, Baculites Ovatus? {Say), Ammonites 

 (Scaphites?) ramosus, and A. dewberry anus. 



Trans, iv.] 7 



