104

probably the equivalent of the Wapiti group, above, and has about the
same stratigraphic range as the Smoky group.

The name Kotaneelee was first used by Hage (1945), and was applied
to strata in the valleys of Kotaneelee and Petitot Rivers, tributaries of the
Liard. The area of outcrop is large, extending over the lower part of the
Dunedin River Valley, the valley of the Liard from near the mouth of
Beaver River to the mouth of Kotaneelee River, and the lower part of the
valley of Petitot River.

Coarse and fine sandstone and dark shale, with a few thin beds of hard,
rusty shale and some scattered fossiliferous concretions, are exposed in
banks up to 300 feet high on the east side of Beaver River, from 4 to 12
miles north of the Liard. In places also are exposures 100 feet high of soft
grey, laminated clay shale, with rusty, fossil-bearing concretions (Kindle,
1944). Six miles north of the Liard and east of Beaver River, Kindle col-
lected Inoceramus pontoni ? and Scaphites ventricosus Meek and Hayden,
diagnostic of the Coniacian, Lower Wapiabi fauna.

About 200 feet of sandstone, shale, and thin conglomerate are exposed
on the north side of Liard River, 9 miles northwest of Nelson Forks. Ex-
posures of the Kotaneelee formation have also been observed on the south
bank of the Liard west of the mouth of Dunedin Creek (Kindle, 1944).

Beds higher in the formation, consisting of sandstone and shale, are
exposed on a hill on the east side of Liard River, about 12 miles below the
mouth of the Fort Nelson. Here, in 1922, Hume collected Inoceramus
cf. tuberculatus Woods?. In this Vicinity also, at Pretty Hill, Hage (1945)
collected Inoceramus in shale and thin beds of sandstone, from 300 to 500
feet above the river. Hage measured a section of this formation, on the
east bank of Liard River, about 4 miles farther downstream.

Top of Section Thickness

Loose blocks of grey sandstone Feet

Shale, dark grey, chunky; with ironstone concretions; Inoceramus 100

Pebble layeriof black chert... 4/009. .00.....)...0.5 02.0.2 5o0, 0-2

Sandstone, grey, interbedded with grey shale; Protocardium..... 15

Shale, dark grey, chunky; ironstone concretions............... 100
MotalGthicknesssss-ek eee eee eee ern ae 215-2

Fossils collected from the talus below the outcrop comprise Inoceramus
(cf. twberculatus Woods and cf. steenstrup? Loriol) and Baculttes.

Hage (1945) measured a section of the Kotaneelee formation on Kot-
aneelee River about 7 miles above its mouth; neither the top nor basal beds
of the formation are exposed at this locality.

Top of Section bielness
Shale, dark grey; with coneretions...............0..0..0--... 150
Sandstone, bedded, MNES 5 5 on ognooaoouuaeoncasa.. 8
Shale; Sandi: ayes lao ea 20
Shale, grey, chunky, brown; with ironstone concretions......... 150
River level
Lotalithickn ess teh ser eae aee eae ene 328