personal a n<) Scientific News. 341 
sils, but was determined as pre-Devonian by overyling plant-bearing 
beds. 
Subsequently the discovery of primordial fossils in its lower part 
caused it to be relegated to the Cambrian system. Group after group 
of fossils of different horizons in the Cambrian system have in these 
later years been added, until now we know it to contain tbe whole 
series of Cambrian deposits. Finally the discovery of the Quebec 
graptolites in the upper part of the St. John group presented the ter- 
rane in a new point of view, and prevented us from considering it a 
strictly Cambrian formation. 
Still we find that even the Quebec or Arenig fauna of these rocks has 
a strong Cambrian facies; as for instance in the presence of Clono- 
graptus and Dictyonema among the graptolites, and Parabolinella and 
Cyclognathus among the trilobites. In fact all the trilobites are of 
Cambrian types; Cyclognathus is but a Peltura with a smooth glabella; 
and Parabolinella is a subgenus of Parabolina, an essentially Cambrian 
genus. 
The St. John group still has an originality and value as typical of the 
peculiar development of the earliest Pala?ozoic rocks along the Atlantic 
border. It is thus of value as a regional name, though it has lost its 
claim to general application by the progress of geological discovery. 
At the time of the discovery of the Arenig types in the St. John 
group, the alternative of separating the Arenig horizon presented itself 
to the writer, and would have commended itself to some. But such a 
course wouid have introduced an entirely artificial division, and would 
have been of no practical benefit: it would have broken up a natural 
terrane, which, as the St. John group, can be exactly defined, and traced 
over the surface of the country; but no one can separate from it at 
all points, the beds containing the Ordovician fauna. Furthermore, in 
its present distribution the St. John group consists almost entirely of 
Cambrian strata, for the enormous denudation to which it has been ex- 
posed has removed the Ordovician beds from extensive areas of the 
basins in which this group is found. G. F. Matthew. 
St. John, N. B., Sept. 25, 1893. 
PERSONAL AND SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 
Recent losses to science. — Among the recenl losses to sci- 
ence we must include Dr. John Bae, the Arctic explorer, who, 
though rather a geographer than a geologist, has been a con- 
spicuous figure in both fields for many years, Ins life extend- 
ing from L813-1893. 
Mi-. Jas. \Y. Davis, who was more intimately connected with 
geology. ;i!id who has fallen at the early age of 17. was an 
illustration of the way in which some of our best workers 
