1898] 149 



NOTE ON THE PHYSIOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF 

 KING'S COUNTY, NOVA SCOTIA.* 



By H. M. Ami, Geological Survey, Ottawa. 



King's County, Nova Scotia, is bounded on the north by 

 the Minas Channel and Minas Basin (eastern extension of the 

 Bay of Fundy), on the east by the Basin of Minas and Hants 

 County, on the south by Lunenburg County, and on the west 

 by the County of Annapolis. It is traversed in a north-easterly 

 and south-westerly direction by three principal ridges, viz : 



(i) The North Mountain, an eruptive axis from six to 

 eight miles in breadth and extending from Cape Blomidon to 

 Brier Island at the southern entrance to the Bay of Fundy^ 

 referred by geologists to the Triassic System. 



(2) TJie Ridge, on and near which the town of Wolfville 

 is builtj consists of an axis of sedimentary rocks of 

 Devonian and Silurian age overlaid unconformably, in its eastern 

 extremity, by a series of granitic sandstones, shales and lime- 

 stones holding plant and fish remains, referable to the Horton 

 division of the Carboniferous system. This "Ridge" extends 

 west through Kentville and Canaan to Nictaux in Annapolis 

 County. 



(3) The South Mountain — Formed by a belt of granite, in 

 contact with the Silurian slates, sandstones, &c., of the Gaspereau 

 Valley the latter being unconformably capped by rocks of the 

 " Horton Series." 



The Cornwallis Valley. 



Between the " North Mountain " and " The Ridge " lies the 

 beautiful and fertile Triassic Valley of the Cornwallis river, the 

 largest and most southerly of the four streams which flow cast 

 into the Basin of Minas. The other streams are : the Canard, the 

 Habitant and the Pereau rivers — the latter sometimes called the 

 Canning river " Look-off," on the North Mountain, is a favourite 

 spot from which the beautiful and broad valley or the Corn- 

 wallis river, with its numerous dykes and orchards, can be seen 

 to advantage, as well as the extensive meads of historic " Grand 



