this rule, or law of nature as it may be called, that met only the age of the Taconic but also the age of the slates, at St. Johns New Brunswick, and of the great series of rocks investigated by Mr. Murray in Newfoundland were determined. The age of a number of other deposites in the Western States and in the Rocky Mountains has been decided by the same law.

ON SOME FOSSILS FROM THE PRIMORDIAL ROCKS OF NEWFOUNDLAND.

By E. BILLINGS, F.G.S.

In Mr. Murray's "Report upon the Geological Survey of Newfoundland for the year 1870," the Primordial rocks of the southeasterly portion of the Island, are estimated to have a thickness of about 6000 feet. The upper 476 feet, constituting Bell Island, in Conception Bay, a short distance from the city of St. Johns, hold a peculiar group of fossils, the exact age of which has not yet been determined. The species thus far collected, consist entirely of Lingulæ, Cruziana and fucoids. Among the latter are fine specimens of several species of Eophyton, a genus first discovered on this continent by Mr. Murray. The Lingulæ, on a superficial examination, might be taken for those of the Upper Potsdam of Wisconsin. They are, however, specifically, and two of them are, perhaps, even generically, different. These two are distinguished by the remarkable convexity of the dorsal valve. They have their nearest representatives in some species from the 66 Budleigh Salterton Pebble-bed" of Devonshire, England. The pebbles of this latter formation, which hold the Lingulæ, are supposed to have been derived from the "Armoricain sandstone" of Brittany, France, considered to be about the base of the Lower Silurian. In Newfoundland, up to the present time, true primordial trilobites have been collected, only in beds, the highest of which are full 2000 feet below the lowest strata of Bell Island.

I shall therefore describe the fossils of this Island as a distinct division.

VOL. VI.

W

No. 4.

FIG. 1. Eophyton Linnæanum? Torell. Part of a slab of sandstone with several fragments supposed to be of this species.

The only specimen I have access to at present, is a slab of sandstone, about 15 inches in length and 12 inches wide, on the surface of which there are about thirty stems of the fossil. Most of these lie across the stone in a direction nearly parallel to each other. They appear to have been, when perfect, slender, cylindrical, straight, reed-like plants, about three lines in diameter, with the surface longitudinally striated; four striæ upon an average in the width of one line. Some of the stems, which have been partially flattened by pressure, are coarsely grooved or fluted; but when the surface of such is perfect, the fine striæ can always be seen on the large ridges and in the furrows between them. When pressed quite flat some of the stems only exhibit the fine striæ. I cannot see that any of the stems are branched. One of them, which is pressed flat, is bifurcated, but I think this due to the pressure, which has split the stem into two portions.

I refer this species as above, because it is impossible to distinguish it from some of the figures of the Swedish form. As it occurs above the Paradoxides beds, while the Swedish specimens, have as yet, only been found below, it is most probably a distinct species.

EOPHYTON JUKESI, spec. nov.

In this species the stems are nine lines in diameter, cylindri cal, straight or slightly flexuous. They are longitudinally striated, but the surface of the specimens examined, are not suffi

ciently well preserved to exhibit the dimensions of the striæ. It is separated from the former principally on account of its much greater size.

FIG. 2. Part of a slab of sandstone with Arthraria antiquata.

The fossils for which the above generic and specific names are proposed, are small cylindrical bodies, with usually an expansion at each end, giving the form of a dumb bell. Those that I have seen, are from six to nine lines in length, and from the manner in which they are grouped upon the surface of the stone, they appear to me to be segments of a jointed plant. Similar forms occur in the Clinton formation.

5.

spissa, a ventral valve; b, dorsal valve; c, side view of both valves.

LINGULA MURRAYI, spec. nov.

Fig. 3.

Shell elongate, sub pentagonal; front margin straight or gently convex for a space equal to about two-thirds the width in the middle; anterior angles rounded; sides somewhat straight or very gently convex and parallel for two-thirds the length, then

converging to the apex, where they meet at an angle of between seventy and eighty degrees. In one of the two specimens collected, there is a flat margin on each side one-sixth the whole width of the shell. Between these two flat margins the remainder of the shell is gently convex. In the other specimen this central space is slightly convex in the anterior part of the shell, but on approaching the beak it becomes an angular roof-shaped ridge. The shell is thin, black and shining with obscure fluctuating, concentric undulations of growth, and with very fine, obscurely indicated, longitudinal striæ.

Length nine lines; width five lines.

LINGULELLA? AFFINIS, spec. nov.

Fig. 4.

Ventral valve elongate, conical or acutely triangular. Apical angle about 45°. Front margin gently convex in the middle, rounded at the angles; sides nearly straight, uniformly converging from the anterior angles to the beak. Surface with very fine longitudinal striæ, about ten in the width of one line.

This species is founded upon the single specimen of a ventral valve above figured. The upper two-thirds is partly worn away in the middle, leaving only the outline in the stone. It appears to have been, when perfect, gently convex, the rostral portion near the beak semi-cylindrical. Length about thirteen lines, width nine lines.

The dorsal valve has not been identified.

LINGULELLA? SPISSA, spec. nov.
Fig. 5, a, b, c.

Shell sub-pentagonal, or sub-ovate, length and width about equal, sometimes strongly ventricose. Dorsal valve with the front margin straight or very gently convex for about two-thirds the width in the middle; anterior angles rounded; sides straight or slightly convex and sub-parallel until within one-third or onefourth the length from the beak, then converging to the apex, where they form an obtuse angle which varies from 100 to about 110 degrees. This valve is generally very convex, sometimes almost hemispherical, the outline on a side view is rather abruptly elevated in the rostral third, depressed convex for a short space in the middle, and then more gently descending to the front margin. Most of the specimens of this valve are eight or nine lines in length, and about the same in width.

The shell which is supposed to be the ventral valve of this species, is gently convex, with usually a somewhat flat space extending from the front margin upwards towards the beak. The apical angle appears to be from 90 to 100 degrees. Shell very thick, of a lamellar structure, dark brown or nearly black, and, sometimes, where exfoliated, of an ashy grey colour. Surface with a number of obscure undulations of growth and with fine longitudinal striæ, about ten in the width of one line.

FIG. 6. Cruziana similis; g, the median groove; r, r, the ridges at the sides.

The specimens are from twelve to fifteen lines wide, divided along the middle by an angular groove, and bordered on each side by a narrow ridge, about one line wide. The space on each side between the median groove and the marginal ridges, are moderately convex and crossed obliquely by numerous irregular raised lines, with furrows between them. These lines usually have the form of a gentle sigmoid curve, sometimes extending quite across, but are often crowded together in a somewhat confused manner, still preserving the general oblique direction. Upon an average there are about ten lines in the length of half an inch. The marginal ridges are sometimes longitudinally striated.

This species has been heretofore referred by me to C. semiplicata, Salter, but although closely allied, none of our specimens agree exactly with the figures of the British species.

Besides the above six species, many of the beds of sandstone of Great Bell Island, are covered with several species of Palao