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(3) A third view which has been advanced is that the Fundamental Gneiss is nothing more than a great mass of eruptive granite or granitic rock which has eaten upward, and in places penetrated the Grenville series, or perhaps absorbed it, while the Grenville series itself represents a series of highly altered sediments of Laurentian, Huronian or subsequent age. The enormous extent and world-wide distribution of the Fundamental Gneiss forming as it does wherever the base of the geological column is exposed to view, the foundation or floor on which all subsequent rocks are seen to rest, is opposed to this view of its origin, as is also its persistent gneissic or banded character, although, as above mentioned, much eruptive material is undoubtedly to be found in it.

Which of these views is correct can be ascertained only as very careful and detailed mapping, accompanied by accurate petrographical study, is proceeded with. In the present state of our knowledge additional argument and discussion will not help us toward the goal, while hasty work and generalization serves but to retard the progress of our knowledge.

The Anorthosite Series.—Associated with both the series of rocks just described there are, as has been mentioned, great eruptive masses of granite, some of which have been folded in with the gneisses, while others evidently erupted at a much later date, show no trace of dynamic action.

In addition to these, basic eruptive rocks belonging to the gabbro family occur in certain districts, sometimes in the form of comparatively insignificant masses, but elsewhere underlying great tracts of country. One on the upper waters of the Saguenay has an area of no less than 5,800 square miles. These usually consists of a variety of gabbro in which the magnesia-iron constituents are present in very small amount, being in many cases entirely wanting, so that the rock consists practically of pure plagioclase feldspar. These rocks were called anorthosites by Hunt, in the early reports of the Canadian Geological Survey, on account of the great preponderance in them of "Anorthose,' a general name given many years ago by Delesse to the triclinic