85

Mr. J. F. Whiteaves has examined the collection from this
place, and enumerates the following species :—

Hemithyris psittacea Linn.
Modiolaria nigra Gray.
Saxicava rugosa Lamarck.
Puncturella galeata Gould.
Balanus —?

and fragments of bivalves, which are scarcely determinable.

In several other places on this sound, similar sandy beds
were seen generally when near the water level well compacted,
but were not again found to hold shells. At Echinus Point,
on the south shore of the first great expansion of the inlet, at
low tide, a very hard sandy clay almost like stone is exposed.
It is charged with pebbles and boulders, some of which appear
to be ice marked.

Deposits of this character probably underlie the whole flat
country between Masset Inlet and the east coast, while on the
southern and western margins of the expansions of the inlet
superficial deposits other than boulders, which are evidently
derived from the mountains of the immediate vicinity, are want-
ing, and ice marking was observed in many places on the rocky
sides of the valleys.”’

Along the north coast of Graham island, from the entrance
of Masset inlet to Rose spit, an almost continuous wall of white
dune sand borders the beach. In many places the dunes have
migrated several hundred yards inland (Plate VII).

A curious effect of the great quantities of loose sand caused
by the abrasion of these loose deposits by the waves may be
seen in several creeks entering Hecate strait from the north-
eastern lowland. These creeks, of which only a few were exam-
ined, turn abruptly north on nearing the water, and flow for
some distance parallel to the shore, before entering the sea. The
Tlell river is the most notable example of this, as can be seen
from the map. This northward translation of the mouths of
the streams is attributed to the effect of the waves caused by
the heavy southeast storms which pile up the sand, and shove
it northward along the shore.

7