FIFTH REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I908 



35 



13 We have observed that the passage from New York through 

 to Gaspe and New Brunswick was undisturbed during the earliest 

 stages of the Devonic. Probably in the later stage represented 

 by the extensive Grande Greve limestones it was less clear, the 

 channel widened out into a basin of rapid propagation from which 

 migration to the southwest took place freely. We believe the evi- 

 dence fully indicates that during all these stages of the Eodevonic 

 the direction of migration was from the north inward and south- 

 ward. Reference has been made to the occurrence of the Eode- 

 vonic on St Helens island, Montreal and to the presumption that it 

 indicates the remnant of a backset along the St Lawrence trough 

 of these waters, rather than any connection with New York 

 through the Champlain trough. We find no reason for modifying 

 this view as there is no single factor which presumes a Paleozoic 

 water connection along the Ghamplain graben during a period so 

 late as the Devonic. 



14 The Gaspe sandstones indicate (as we have suggested) a 

 general breaking down of the barriers of the northern channel, by 

 a transgression over the Siluric beds adjoining and a widening out 

 of the area in such a way as to constitute in large part flood 

 deposit or barachois conditions throughout the eastern part of the 

 Gaspe peninsula. These conditions continued throughout the 

 Middle Devonic as shown by the notable percentage of. New York 

 Hamilton species in these rocks commingled with highly typical 

 survivors of the earlier or Grande Greve fauna. The New York 

 species are here clearly the invaders, having entered this province 

 by the still open waterway from the southwest. The remains 

 themselves, whether of Grande Greve or Hamilton species, we 

 regard as overwashed into their present position from outside the 

 barrier bounding the barachois and not native to the sandy terrig- 

 enous sediments, abounding in plant remains with which they are 

 associated. 



Monograph of the Eurypterida. Recent years of field explora- 

 tion have brought to light very extensive collections of these inter- 

 esting ancient Crustacea from New York and beyond any doubt 

 such a wealth of material representing this extinct order has never 

 before been brought together. It has been the purpose of the 

 Paleontologist to utilize this exceptional material as the basis of a 

 revision of the group and as an opportunity for expanding and 

 summarizing his previous publications on this subject. During 

 the past year the Assistant Paleontologist has been able to 

 devote considerable study to this subject with results of much 



