loo The Ottawa Naturalist. [August 



Riversdale formations of Nova Scotia, referred to the Devonian 

 System by some Canadian g^eolog-ists," * the writer presented 

 some of the evidence obtained in the field, which went to show 

 clearly, we believe, that the fauna and flora found entombed in 

 the Riversdale formation, had in every respect a Carboniferous 

 facies and consequently could not be referred to the Devonian 

 System, but to the Carboniferous. 



Along the banks of the Harrington River, near Lower Fi/e 

 Islands, forming the boundary line between Colchester and Cumber- 

 land Counties in No /a Scotia in strata consisting of sandstones, 

 siliceous and carbaceous shales, the writer obtained in 1897 

 and 1898 quite an assemblage of plant remains which have been 

 forwarded to Mr. Robert Kidston, who refers them to a de- 

 cided Carboniferous horizon. The animal remains have been 

 submitted to a preliminary examination and all the forms noticed 

 also indicate a Carboniferous age. 



From the 1898 collections a number of remains of an interest- 

 ing form have been recently selected which shew clearly the occur- 

 rence of a species of the genus Whittleseya, defined by Newberry 

 in 1874. t 



AH the North American species of Whittleseya (W. elegans, 

 W. integrifolia, W. undulata, W. microphylla,) have been discov- 

 ered from the Coal Measures of the United States. As far as the 

 writer is aware this is the first time that the genus has been dis- 

 covered in Nova Scotian strata and the present note, or brief 

 paper is to place it on record and express the view that the Har- 

 rington River strata, from which the interesting specimens of 

 Whittleseya were obtained, afford additional proof of their Carbon- 

 iferous age. 



The following plants were determined by Mr. Kidson and 

 were found associated with the species of Whittleseya by the 



writer : — 



I. Asterophyllites acicularis, Dawson ( = CaIamocladiis equisetiformis, 

 Schlotheim). 2. Sphenopteris marg-inata, Dawson. 3. Alethopteris dilatata, 

 Dawson. 4. Alethopteris splendens, Dawson. 5. Alethopteris Harttii, 

 Dawson. 6. Alethopteris discrepans, Dawson^ 7. Aneiniites Acadica, 

 Dawson. 8. Cardiocarpuin corniitum, Dawson. 9. Psilophyton ? glabriim, 

 Dawson. 



Another species of Whittleseya has been noticed by the writer 

 from his collections made at West Bay, near Parrsborough, in 

 Cumberland County. The latter were associated with fossil 

 insects and Anthracomyae, all of which have also a decided Car- 

 boniferous facies. It will thus be seen that the evidence is cumu- 

 lative, which has been gathered, and goes to prove that the strata 

 from which it was obtained cannot be referred to the Devonian 

 System. 



* Trans. Nov. Scotian Inst. Sc, Vol. X, Session 1899-1900, pp. 167-178, 

 Halifax. 



t Proc. Cleveland Acad. Sciences, p. 43. 



