5. Collingwood, lot 25, range 6 a. Cut whetstones. Geological Survey. These whetstones are obtained from about twenty feet of thin, even bedded, and very fine grained sandstones and arenaceous shales, at the top of the Hudson River formation. The inhabitants of the neighborhood make whetstones for their own use, from this rock, but it has never been extensively worked. The same rock is found in the same geological posi tion at Meaford, Cape Rich, and on the Grand Manitoulin Island.-Hudson River forma tion, Lower Silurian. 6. Nottawasaga, lot 24, range 11. a. Cut whetstones. ... Geological Survey. The specimens are taken from about twenty feet of freestone, representing the Grey-band. The rock is in every way suited to make superior scythe stones, although they have never yet been manufactured from it.-Medina formation, Middle Silurian. 7. Noisy River Falls, Nottawasaga a. Cut whetstones. Geological Survey. These specimens are from a few feet of very fine grained compact sandstone at the foot of the falls, and immediately underlying the dolomite of the Clinton formation. It appears to be the upper part of the Grey-band. The rock is not worked in this locality.Medina formation, Middle Silurian. 8. Madoc, lots 4 and 5, range 5..... a. Cut whetstones. ... Geological Survey. The mica slates associated with the crystalline limestones of the Laurentian series are frequently of the character required for scythe stones, and a band of this description occurs in Madoc, on the property of Mr. O'Hara, who at one time cut and wrought the rock into whetstones for sale. The whetstone rock occurs not far from crystalline limestone, and in immediate contact with a thick band of conglomerate, of which the matrix weathers white, and appears to be a dolomite. The pebbles, which are frequently large, some of them being six inches in diameter, are chiefly of quartz, but there are others of feldspar, and some which are calcareous. The quartz pebbles are for the most part distinctly rounded, and their colors various, some being bluish, and others white or pinkish on fracture. Those of feldspar are red and white.-Laurentian. Hones. 1. Ottertail Lake, Thessalon River.... a. Cut hones. Geological Survey. Some of the silicious slates of the Huronian series yield very fine hones. They are usually of a green color, and belong to the lower part of the series.-Huronian. Grindstones. 1. Nottawasaga, lot 24, range 11... . Geological Survey. a. A grindstone, twenty-eight inches in diameter. This grindstone is from the Grey-band, which is about twenty feet thick at this locality, and the whole of it appears equally well qualified for making grindstones. It splits well into the various thicknesses required for these stones, and they have been made from it, by hand, in considerable numbers, both at this place, and in the township of Mulmur. The same rock is found in many places near the escarpment of the Niagara formation, in Nottawasaga and Mulmur. The grindstones made from it, are declared by practical men, to be superior to those imported; but they have never yet been manufactured by machinery. A lathe for turning them could be erected on one of the numerous streams which cross the formation, for about $1000 (£200 stg.). Grindstones roughly hewn by hand, sell for 14 cents per pound on the spot, which is the price of the imported Ohio stones, as sold on the coast of Lake Huron.-Grey band, Medina formation, Middle Silurian. Millstones. 1. Grenville, lot 3, range 5 .... a. A buhrstone, dressed. ... Geological Survey. This buhrstone occurs on the property of Mr. James Lowe. On his land and that of some of his neighbors, it constitutes a series of veins, cutting an intrusive mass of syenite, which occupies an area of thirty-six square miles, among the Laurentian rocks of Grenville, Chatham, and Wentworth. The veins consist of yellowish-brown or flesh-red cellu lar chert; the colors, in some cases, running in bands parallel to one another, and sometimes being rather confusedly mingled, giving the aspect of a breccia. The cells are unequally distributed, some parts being nearly destitute of them, while in others they are very abundant, and of various sizes, from that of a pin's head to an inch in diameter. On the walls of some of the cells, small transparent crystals of quartz are implanted; and in some of them are impressions of cubical forms, resulting, probably, from crystals of fluor spar, which have disappeared The stone has the chemical composition of flint or chalcedony. On Mr. Lowe's ground, one of the veins runs nearly east and west, and stands in a vertical attitude; while its breadth varies from about four to about seven feet. When the vein is banded, the colors run parallel with the sides. The attitude and associations of the chert clearly show that it cannot be of sedimentary origin, and its composition, taken in conjunction with the igneous character of the district, suggests the probability that it is an aqueous deposit, which has filled up fissures in the syenite, and is similar in its origin to the agates and chalcedony which in smaller masses are common in various rocks. For a distance of perhaps 200 yards on each side of these veins of chert, while the quartz of the syenite remains unchanged, the feldspar has been more or less decomposed, and is converted into a sort of kaolin. As this process involves a separation of silica from the feldspar, it is not improbable that it has been the origin of the veins of silex.-Laurentian. Millstones for grinding oats and barley are manufactured by Mr. W. De Cew, of De Cewville, in the County of Haldimand, from whom this millstone was obtained. The stones, which are highly esteemed for the purposes to which they are applied, are derived from a bed of sandstone, varying in thickness from six to ten feet, which in some parts of its distribution, abounds in fossils. It constitutes the base of the Devonian series of Canada.-Oriskany formation, Devonian. All the gypsum mines at present worked in Canada, occur on the Grand River, in a distance of thirty-five miles, extending from Cayuga to Paris. The formation, to which they belong, however, runs from the Niagara River, to the Saugeen, on Lake Huron, a distance fo about 150 miles; and it seems probable that as the country to the north-west of Paris becomes more settled, further discoveries of workable masses will be made in that direction All the mines appear to be confined to one stratigraphical position in the formation, which is probably about the middle. The mineral occurs in lenticular masses, varying in horizontal diameter, from a few yards to a quarter of a mile, with a thickness of from three to seven feet. The layer of gypsum appears to be in general both underlaid and overlaid by beds of dolomite, much of which is fit for the purposes of hydraulic cement, and the gypsum itself is sometimes interstratified with thin beds of dolomite. In some parts, there appear to be two workable ranges of gypsum, one a few feet above the other. But this, perhaps, is only to be considered a thickening of the gypsiferous band, with an interstratification of a thicker mass of dolomite.-Onondaga formation, Upper Silurian. The following is the amount of gypsum raised annually from the quarries on the Grand River: The greater part of this gypsum is employed for agricultural purposes, and the prices at which it is sold are as follows: This deposit is on the property of Messrs. John & Thomas MacKay, of Rideau Hall, New Edinburgh, and is five feet thick. Among the shells which it contains, are the following species: Physa heterostropha, Limnæa pallida, Planorbis bicarinatus, P. campanulatus, P. parvus, Amnicola porata, and Valvata tricarinata. With a thin covering of vegetable D mould, the marl supports a growth of large forest trees, under which it extends some distance along the east side of a small lake or pond, which occurs in the course of a small stream, discharging by a narrow ravine into the Ottawa close by. The surface of the pond is twenty-six feet above the river in summer, but only six feet in the freshets of spring; the river in summer is 118 feet above the sea. The marl bed is on a level surface, twentyfive feet above the pond, and, after spreading over a breadth of 200 yards, it appears to run under a terrace five feet higher, which maintains a level surface for considerable distance. This, instead of overlying the marl, may be the margin of the lake in which it was deposited. The pond is 200 yards wide, and on the west side there are evidences of three periods of recession, in distinct terraces; which are at heights of thirty, sixty, and seventy-five feet, respectively, over the level of the pond, or 174, 204 and 219 feet above the sea, each with a sudden step rising to the next. The upper step, or perhaps the upper two steps, may exhibit former limits of the sea. The clays of the banks of the Ottawa, at this part, are of marine origin, and nine miles farther down the river, at Green's Creek, hold the remains of two species of sea fish, which have been already mentioned (page 45), the Mallotus villosus, or common capeling, and the Cyclostomus lumpus, or lump-sucker; with Saricava rugosa, Leda Portlandica, and other sea shells. The two flappers of a seal were obtained from the same clay, as well as sea-weeds, and leaves of large exogenous trees.-Alluvion. 2. Sheffield, lots 15 and 16, range 2 a. Specimen of marl. .... Geological Survey. This deposit, which is on the property of Mr. McDonell, extends over an area of 200 acres and perhaps more, with a thickness, over the greater portion, of at least ten feet. On the surface there is a thin soil, bearing a luxuriant growth of prairie grass. The species of shells observed here are Planorbis bicarinatus, P. parvus, Physa heterostropha, Amnicola porata, with undetermined species of Limnæa, Valvata, Cyclas, and Pisidium. Another locality in Sheffield, where marl occurs, is on lot 12, ranges 3 and 4, extending over at least 300 acres and perhaps more than 400. The place where it occurs is chiefly a swamp or marsh, and it is covered over by an accumulation of excellent peat, averaging four feet in thickness. Still another locality in the same township, is in White Lake, and the brook leading from this to Beaver Lake.-Alluvion. 3. Montreal a. Specimen of marl. Geological Survey. This deposit, which is very pure and white, occurs at Thornberry on the west side of Mount Royal. It is overlaid by peat, but does not seem to be of very great extent. The species of shells met with in it are Planorbis campanulatus, P. bicarinatus, P. trivol vis, P. parvus, Limnæa umbrosa, L. stagnalis, Physa marginata, P. heterostropha, Valvata bicarinata, Amnicola porata, Melania acuta, Cyclas similis, Pisidium dubium, and an undetermined Unio.-Alluvion. 4. Nepean... a. Specimen of marl. Geological Survey. This deposit is on the property of Mr. Sparks, of Ottawa. It is a foot thick, and is covered with a thin layer of peat. The species of shells found in it are Physa heterostropha, P. marginata, Planorbis bicarinatus, P. parvus, P. campanulatus, Limnæa modicella, Amnicola porata, Valvata tricarinata, and Pisidium.-Alluvion. 5. West Hawkesbury, lot 18, range 4. a. Specimen of marl. Geological Survey. The marl is found on the property of Mr. George Cross, in the bottom of a prairie-like flat, traversed by a small brook; it is known to cover between three and four acres on this lot, but it is believed to be more extensive, and to continue into the next lot eastward. The specimen was obtained near the edge of the deposit. The bed is here three and a half feet deep, and is overlaid by four feet of peat. The surface is overgrown with grass, reeds, and moss, and the locality appears to have been the former site of a small lake. The marl taken from the upper half of the bed, becomes white when dry, and is filled with well preserved shells; that from the lower half is of a bluish color and more tenacious character. Branches and trunks of trees, in a good state of preservation, are found in the marl, but not in the peat. The [marl has proved a very efficacious manure to the adjoining lands, which are of a sandy character. In digging it, the effluvium evolved is so offensive, that few men can bear it. The peat is also used as a manure by the proprietor. The following species of fresh-water shells have been obtained from this marl: Limnæq stagnalis, L. umbrosa, Planorbis trivolvis, P. campanulatus, P. bicarinatus, P. parvus, Physa heterostropha, Amnicola porata, Valvata tricarinata, Cyclas similis, and an Anodonta.-Alluvion. 6. Brant, lot 6, range 1, N. of Durham road a. Specimen of marl, Geological Survey. The marl here occurs in a flat meadow, skirting a small stream, and extends over an area of seven acres. The bed is two feet deep, and is covered by a foot of peat, which supports a growth of prairie grass. The marl from the lower part of the bed is of a blue color when wet, while that from the middle is whitish, and has been used by the people of the neighborhood as a whitewash, but not yet as a manure, the lands being naturally very calcareous. Most of the shells are finely comminuted, and only an occasional whole specimen preserved. These appear to belong altogether to small species, and among them occur Planorbis parvus, Valvata humeralis, V, tricarinata, Amnicola porata, and several small species of Pisidium.-Alluvion. 7. Carrick, lot 25, range 15.... a. Specimen of marl. Geological Survey. This deposit is about six acres in extent, with an ascertained depth of twenty-seven inches. It is very white, and overlaid by a thin stratum of black mould. The surface has the aspect of prairie land, and is intersected by a brook. Similar prairies, in which marl is said to be found, occur at intervals along the brook, for four miles, and the whole area underlaid by marl, is estimated at forty acres. It has hitherto been used only for whitewashing. Among the shells which it contains, the genera Limnæa, Planorbis, Physa, Valvata, Amnicola, Cyclas and Pisidium are represented. A great many deposits of marl, similar to this and to the last, are met with in the counties of Bruce and Grey.-Alluvion. 8. Bentinck, lot 26, range 1...... a. Specimen of marl. ... Geological Survey. This bed occurs in low ground, close to the town of Durham. Its extent is uncertain, but it is known to cover eight or ten acres. At the spot where the specimen was taken, its depth was four feet. It is very solid and pure, and is covered by heavy timber. Physa heterostropha, Planorbis parvus, Valvata tricarinata, and Amnicola porata, with small species of Pisidium, are among the shells which it contains.-Alluvion, |