106 
characteristic suture line, and so common a component of this fauna in the 
United States, has not yet been found by the writer in Canada but has 
been reported by some authors. 1 Warren and Rutherford, however, report 
that they have not found it 2 . Small, little ornate, Baculites is another 
characteristic of this fauna; the more ornate, nodose, and ribbed, Baculites 
do not appear until the time of the Scaphites ventricosus fauna; but they 
are little larger at that time. In general it may be noted that the two 
Prionotropis faunas on Smoky river are somewhat unlike, in species, and 
that the very sparse fauna on Athabaska river differs from both in species, 
although Prionotropis is present; as none of these faunas is prolific too 
much stress cannot be laid on their unlikeness at present; until more is 
known of them the recognition of separate subfaunas belonging to hemerse 
within the age of Prionotropis must be postponed. 
The local range of the Scaphites ventricosus fauna has been described 
under succession. This is the “Niobrara” fauna or fauna with Uintacrinus , 
Inoceramus umbonatus, and Scaphites vermiformis 3 of the United States 
interior, where it is found in the upper part of the Colorado shale of northern 
Montana and in the Niobrara formation of the Great Plains. Among the 
species common to Blairmore area and the United States interior are 
Placenticeras syrtale, Scaphites ventricosus , S. ventricosus var. stantoni , S . 
vermiformis, Inoceramus exogyroides , and 7. undabundus , Reeside corre- 
lates this fauna with the Coniacian and Lower Santonian of Europe. In 
Canada this is the best known and most prolific of the Coloradoan faunas. 
On Bow river it is in the upper Benton formation. 4 * In west-central Alberta, 
at Mountain Park, it is found in the Wapiabi formation 6 , and Warren and 
Rutherford 6 state that it ranges to within 300 feet of the top of this forma- 
tion; among the species in common are Scaphites ventricosus and Inoceramus 
exogyroides . On Smoky river in northern Alberta this fauna occurs at the 
top of the Kaskapau shale and in the Bad Heart sandstone 7 . Species in 
common are Scaphites ventricosus, S. ventricosus var. saxitonianus, S . 
vermiformis , Baculites cf. asper, B. cf. anceps , Inoceramus exogyroides , 7. 
pontoni, and 7. coulthardi. On Athabaska river, in northern Alberta, this 
fauna, curiously enough, has not yet been found in the La Biche shale, 
although faunas which elsewhere precede and succeed it are present in this 
same formation. The important guide fossils to this fauna in Canada are : 
Inoceramus exogyroides, 7. pontoni, I. coulthardi, the species of the Scaphites 
ventricosus group, i.e., S . ventricosus , S. ventricosus var. stantoni, S. ventri- 
cosus var. saxitonianus , and S. vermiformis, and rather small, ornate, 
nodose, and ribbed Baculites: the Baculites are in part more ornate than 
those in the preceding Prionotropis fauna and much smaller than those of 
the succeeding Montanan faunas. 
The Inoceramus lundbreckensis fauna from near the top of the Colorado 
shale is probably close in time to the Eagle fauna of the United States 
interior. 8 This fauna is also present near the middle of the La Biche 
1 For instance Sinclair, J H.: G.S.A., Bull. 27, p. 680 (1916). 
£ Warren, P. S,, and Rutherford, R. L Am. Jour. Sci., vol. 16, p. 135 (1928). 
* For distribution, contents, and correlation of this fauna in the United States See Reeside, J. B., jun.: U.S.A. 
Geol. Surv., Prof. Pap. 132B, pp. 25-28. 
* Rutherford, R. L.: Alberta Sci. Indust. Res. Coun., Rept. No. 17, p. 31 (1927). 
8 Rutherford, R. L.: Alberta Sci. Indust. Res. Coun., Geol. Surv. Div., Rept. 11, p. 43. 
McKay, B. R.: Personal communication. 
‘Warren, P. S., and Rutherford, R. L.: Am. Jour. Sci., 16, p. 133 (1028). 
7 McLearn, F. H.: Geol. Surv., Canada, Bull. 42, p. 119 (1926). 
6 McLearn, F. H., in McLearn, F, H., and Hume, G. S.: Bull. Am. Assoc., Petrol. Geols., vol. 2, p. 247 (1927). 
