On some Podophthalmatous Crustacea from the Cretaceous Formation of Vancouver and Queen Charlotte Islands

Abstract

Some time since I received from my friend Mr. J. F. Whiteaves, F.G.S., Palaeontologist to the Geological Survey of Canada, several interesting crustaceans from the Cretaceous coal-bearing formation of Vancouver and Queen Charlotte Islands, and, as they offer a close affinity with forms from our own Gault and Greensand, they are deserving of special notice. The existence of Cretaceous strata in Canada has long been known, and the coal–fields of Nanaimo and Comox on Vancouver Island have been correlated with this formation as well as those of Queen Charlotte Island and Alberta, eastward of the Rocky Mountains. Mr. F. B. Meek in 1857 gave a description of new organic remains from the Cretaceous of Vancouver Island, including Baculites ovatus? Say; Ammonites (Scaphites) ramosus, A. Newberryanus, Dentalium nanaimoensis, Thracia(?) occidentalis, Thr.(9) subtruncata, Trigonia Evansana, Pholadomya subelongata, Ph, (Goniomya) borealis, Cardium scitulum, Area vancouverensis. A, (Cucullaea) aequilateralis, and Nucula Traskana. Dr. B. F. Shumard in 1858 added Inoceramus vancouverensis, Pinna calamitoides, and Pyrula glabra to the Nanaimo fauna. In Prof. H. Y. Hind9s ‘Report on the .Assiniboine and Saskatchewan Expedition’ (1859) further lists of fossils are given, 13 in number, all referred to Cretaceous forms, namely In 1861 Dr. (now Sir) James Hector instituted a comparison between the strata east of the Rocky Mountain with those of Vancouver Island (Capt. Palliser9s Exploring Expedition, 1857–60).The list of Cretaceous fossils contributed by Mr. Etheridge from east of the Rocky Mountains comprised Inoceramus Crippsii (Roemer) and Baculities compressus (Say) are stated to be common to