41 
ORDOVICIAN ^TIPPER) SERIES 
Ells, as long ago as 1883, in the report cited, held that Ordovician 
strata had a wide distribution in Gaspe peninsula, and that they lie uncon- 
formably upon the Macquereau series; and following the correlation 
of his time he accordingly referred them to the “Quebec series” of the 
“Cambro-Silurian”. No extended search for fossils was made in this 
series of strata and very few were found. Ells gives no idea of their thick- 
ness, but since the area of their exposure is about 5 miles wide, it appears 
probable that it is considerable. They are of the shallow-water phase 
of the St. Lawrence trough. 
Ells says that 
“On the east branch of the Port Daniel river the [Silurian] limestones are underlaid by 
beds of greenish-grey grits, dip south 60 degrees. . . At the distance of 1,600 paces farther 
up stream, ledges of dark grey and black slates occur. . . These are doubtless the 
bituminous and graptolitic beds mentioned by Sir W. E. Logan 1 as occurring in the middle 
branch (Middle river)". 2 
This is a very important statement and search was made for the 
original reference, which says: “Higher on the stream a series of black 
bituminous graptolitic shales comes to the surface, and is seen at 
intervals for several miles upon its banks.” In the Geology of Canada, 
page 445, Logan says: “The position of these shales is between the 
calcareous series ( = Silurian), and the” Macquereau series. 
Inquiries were then made of the Geological Survey, Canada, to see 
if any of these graptolites were in their collections, but so far none has 
been found by Mr. Kindle. In 1924 one poor specimen of a diplograptid 
was found by the senior author in a drifted piece of sandstone in Middle 
river, showing that these strata are either of Middle or Upper Ordovician 
age. Ells says further: 
“On the East branch of the Port Daniel river [also occur] the black slates and 
associated beds, though a good deal disturbed, [and they] appear to strike almost at right 
angles to the feldspathic gneisses which occur farther up the stream and which we have 
connected with the crystalline felsites of the cape”. 3 
The Ordovician rocks were again seen by Ells 2 miles east of Cape 
Macquereau lighthouse, and east beyond Newport: 
“In the vicinity of the Mahy islands, where these Cambro-Silurian rocks are first 
well observed, they dip south 20 degrees east 56 degrees along the shore, the dip on the 
islands being more easterly, or east 10 degrees south < 40 degrees. Tne metamorphic 
rocks of the cape, however, have a quite regular strike [north 60 degrees west], with dips 
of 75 degrees to 90 degrees”. 4 
The present authors also saw something of these “Ordovician” strata, 
first coming upon them about Clemville. The upper 385 feet turned out 
to be Silurian in age, and will be described as the Clemville formation, the 
lowest one of the Chaleur series. 
i Geol. Surv., Canada, Kept, of Prog. 1844, 
1 Geol. Surv., Canada, Rept. of Prog. 1880-81-82, pt. D, pp. 14-15. 
* Geol. Surv., Canada, Kept, of Prog. 1880-81-82, pt. D, p. 16. 
4 Geol. Surv., Canada, Rept. of Prog. 1880-81-82, pt. D, p. 15. 
