Reviezv of Recent Geological Literature. 313 
REVIEW OF RECENT GEOLOGICAL 
LITERATURE. 
}Vas Mount Royal an Active Volcano? Bv J. S. Buchax, A.'. C, B. 
C. L. Canadian Record of Science, Vol. VIII, No. 5, pp. 321, 328.) 
It is well known that the broad and nearly level valley of the St. 
Lawrence, which is underlain with paleozoic strata, has suffered enor- 
mous denudation, unique evidence of which is furnished by the interest- 
ing series of intrusive hills which crosses the valley from Montreal to 
Sheflford. These, owing to their greater resistance to erosion, stand 
out in bold relief, rising to bights of seven hundred to twelve hundred 
feet above the plain, while high up on their slopes, sedimentary frag- 
ments are often found in situ, giving unmistakable evidence of the 
once greater thickness of the sedimentary deposits. 
In the above mentioned paper, these and other phenomena are dis- 
cussed in support of the hypothesis that Mount Royal is an uncov- 
ered laccolite instead of a once active volcano. Mount Royal rises 
seven hundr-ed and forty-four feet above the St. Lawrence river -it 
Montreal and sedimentary patches occur on it nearly at the top. Ar> 
corroborative evidence the plutonic character of the igneous rocks 
together with the absence of tuff or effusive material is cited, as well 
as a slight uplift of the strata in some places. 
Since the absence of any but deep-seated rocks seems to be suf- 
ficiently accounted for by the extent of the erosion already referred to, 
and as the uplifting of the strata is not very pronounced, Mr. Buchan 
is probably prudent in expressing his conviction very reservedly. 
The generally little disturbed position of the surrounding strata is 
certainly unfavorable to the theory of a laccolitic structure, which 
seems less likely to occur here than in the eastern part of the St. 
Lawrence valley within the influence of the Appalachian uplift. 
J. .\. D. 
The Summary Report of the Geological Sttrz'cy of Canaila for the 
Year igoo. (203 pages, 1901.) 
In this report special prominence is given to the results of field- 
work accomplished during the past summer, thus affording an early 
publication of a preliminary kind for any new facts obtained, whether 
of economic or scientific importance. 
Thirteen parties were in the field for the greater part of the sum- 
mer and carried on observations from the Yukon district and British 
Columbia to Nova Scotia. 
The report states that several mineral products have been ob 
tained and sent out as samples or for examination by experts, among 
which may be mentioned, amlar mica, or phlogopite, which was senf 
to the director of the Scientific and Technical Department of the Im 
