6 
Banff Shale ( Mississippian ) 
Predominantly a dark grey to black calcareous shale, weathering 
brownish. It is typically shale below, but becomes more and more cal- 
careous above, until, with many repetitions of shale and limestone, it 
merges with the Minnewanka limestone. 
Fossils are abundant throughout the formation, except in the lower 
500 feet where none was noted. The most abundant species are: Syringo - 
pora surcularia, Schellwienella inequalis t Spirifer centronatus , S. tenui- 
marginaius , and S. albapinensis , the last two being abundant and appar- 
ently confined to this formation. 
The best collecting ground noticed was on a partly weathered, south- 
westward sloping ridge about a quarter of a mile west of the gully forming 
the western termination of mount Standly (location B on Figure 1). 
Minnewanka Limestone ( Upper Part) (Devonian) 
Heavy-bedded, light grey limestone. The upper 150 feet are altern- 
ately more thinly bedded and of a darker colour, being thus transitional to 
the Banff shale. 
The formation is fossiliferous, though not conspicuously sty except in 
the upper part. Fossils were found at intervals throughout the entire 
thickness. At about the middle of the formation the rock is very conspicu- 
ous on account of its dolomitic segregations and possibly Borne algse; these 
look more like poorly preserved forms of pencil-like, branching algae or 
bryozoans. Some such segregations occur in most of the beds, and also in 
those of the lower part of the formation and the Castle Mountain group 
beneath. The most abundant fossils are: Schuchertella girtyi, Productella 
pyxidata, P. color adoensisj Schizophoria striatula, Spirifer whitneyi and its 
variety monticola, Cyrtia standly ensis, and Athyris angelica . 
The best collecting ground is on the western slope of mount Standly 
at the raVine forming its western boundary. 
Minnewanka Limestone (Lower Part) (Devonian) 
Alternating fine to coarse-grained limestone. The rocks when struck 
emit a strong odour of hydrogen sulphide. 
Comparatively few fossils were noted; about 600 feet below the top 
they were rather abundant, though very poorly preserved. They indicate 
a Devonian age. A brachiopod which seems to be identical with Spirifer 
whitneyi is the most abundant fossil seen. 
The best place for collecting these fossils is about one-fourth of a mile 
east of the base of mount Standly. 
FAUNAL SUMMARY 
The following table gives the distribution and abundance of all the 
species here discussed. C= very abundant; c = abundant; r=rare; R = 
very rare. 
