338  PRE-CAMBRIAN    ROCKS    OF    NORTH    AMERICA.  [bull. 86. 
Dawson  (G.  M.),94  in  1878,  states  that  the  crystalline  series  of  Van- 
couver, described  by  Eichardson  in  1872,  are  found  to  contain  fossils. 
They  have,  however,  become  metamorphosed,  and  in  lithological  char- 
acter resemble  the  Huronian  and  altered  Quebec  groups  of  eastern 
Canada. 
Dawson  (G-.  M.),95  in  1879,  describes  in  some  detail  the  Cascade 
crystalline  series,  which  are  referred  to  the  Carboniferous  period.  The 
only  rocks  tentatively  referred  to  the  Laurentian  are  crystalline  rocks 
of  Shuswap  lake  and  the  gold  range,  which  comprises  gneisses,  green- 
stones, schists,  limestones  and  granites. 
Bauerman,96  in  1885,  describes,  near  the  forty-ninth  parallel,  west  of 
the  Rocky  mountains,  large  areas  of  crystalline  rocks,  among  which 
are  granites,  gneisses,  basalt,  etc.    The  gneiss  of  Spokane  resembles 
the  typical  Laurentian  gneiss  of  Canada.    The  metamorphic  slates  and: 
greenstones  perhaps  belong  to  the  Huronian. 
Dawson  (G-.  M.),97  in  1886,  in  that  portion  of  the  Rocky  mountains 
between  latitudes  49°  and  50°  30',  places  the  lowest  rocks  found  in  the 
Cambrian.  These  comprise  quartzite,  quartzitic  shales,  argillites,] 
limestones,  and  conglomerates.  One  section,  between  South  Kootaniei 
pass  and  Flathead  river,  has  a  maximum  thickness  or  more  than  11, 000 I 
feet.  These  rocks  are  apparently  destitute  of  fossils  and  are  compared! 
in  their  lithological  character  with  the  Cambrian  of  the  Wasatch,  but! 
they  have  a  still  closer  resemblance  to  the  Chuar  and  Grand  canyon] 
groups  of  the  Colorado  river. 
Dawson  (G-.  M.),98  in  1887,  describes  Vancouver  island  and  the  adj 
jacent  coasts.  All  the  stratified  rocks  are  Cretaceous  or  TriassicJ 
although  they  are  often  metamorphic  and  crystalline.  To  all  the  vol-1 
canic  material  underlying  the  Cretaceous,  including  the  limestonesJ 
argillites  and  quartzites,  the  term  Vancouver  series  is  applied.  These! 
rocks,  the  oldest  in  the  district,  were  not  deposited  upon  a  granitic! 
floor,  as  the  granites  are  evidently  later  in  date,  and  nothing  is  knownj 
of  the  character  of  the  surface  upon  which  the  Vancouver  beds  were 
deposited.  Granitic  rocks  are  very  widespread.  The  granites  nes 
the  line  of  junction  with  the  Vancouver  series  are  charged  with  ii 
numerable  darker  fragments  from  that  series.  In  the  immediate  vicii 
ity  of  the  parent  rock  they  are  angular  and  clearly  marked,  but  at 
greater  distance  are  rounded  and  blurred  in  outline.  The  width  of  tliel 
belt  in  which  these  fragments  occur  may  exceed  half  a  mile;  in  othea 
cases  it  is  only  a  few  hundred  feet.  It  was  in  several  instances  found 
impossible  to  draw  a  distinct  line  between  the  granites  and  the  Vanl 
couver  rocks.  The  Vancouver  series  for  some  distance  from  the  contact! 
is  very  generally  shattered  and  penetrated  by  granitic  spurs  or  by  fell 
site  dikes.  If  the  granite  were  in  limited  intrusive  masses  these  would] 
be  regarded  as  ordinary  intrusive  rocks,  but  it  appears  everywhere  to| 
be  the  material  upon  which  the  Vancouver  series  rests,  and  is  never-| 
theless  evidently  of  later  date  than  these  rocks.    The  only  explana 
