Biographical Sketch of Elkauah Billings. — Ami. 269' 
which very considerable collections have been made in our 
various explorations. 
"Of these fossils he has described in the publications of the 
survey and in the scientific journals of the province, 526 spe- 
cies, of which 395 are Lower Silurian, 6y Middle and Upper 
Silurian, and 64 Devonian. 
"He has thus greatly facilitated the means of determining 
with precision the limits and distribution of our geological 
formations, and of the economic substances which they con- 
tain. In order to insure uniformity in the paleontological part 
of this work, all the palaeozoic fossils mentioned in it have 
been submitted to the inspection of Mr. Billings, and the spe- 
cies are therefore all given on his authority. Of the described 
Lower Silurian species found in Canada, not including those 
of the Quebec group, he has prepared a catalogue, showing 
their vertical distribution, and referring to the publications in 
which the descriptions and figures will be found. This cata- 
logue has been introduced into the appendix to this volume." 
Then after a brief sketch of the early studies made by him- 
self in the "Quebec Group" of rocks, Sir William points out 
what part Billings played in the unravelling of that interesting 
succession of palaeozoic sediment. He goes on to say : "But 
the discovery in May, i860, of the Point Levis fossils at once 
enabled Mr. Billings to conclude that the rocks of the Que- 
bec group must be placed near the base of the second fauna 
of Barrande or about the horizon of the Calciferous and 
Chazy formation. This opinion, our subsequent investiga- 
tions in the neighborhood of Lake Champlain, and of the 
Strait of Belle Isle, have completely borne out, and there now 
remains little doubt that the attiUule of the rocks in question in 
the vicinity of Quebec is due to a great overlap, which runs 
from southwest to northeast through the whole length of the 
eastern part of the province, and extends in both directions far 
beyond it." 
The above serves to show clearly the remarkable work 
done by Billings in that most difficult field east of the great 
Champlain, St. Lawrence or Appalachian fault. 
His critical eye detected differences >vhere they had not 
been seen and by his knowledge the vertical range of fossil re- 
mains was firmlv established. 
