igoi] White— The Genus Whittleseya. 99 



and by Dr. Ami, the conclusion is reached that the formation is 

 safely within the Carboniferous. Dr. Ami, who has not only 

 critically reviewed all the faunal evidence but who has also studied 

 the structure and position of the beds in the field, refers the Rivers- 

 dale formation to the Eo-Carboniferous, and places it at the base 

 of the Lower Carboniferous.^ 



Pala^obotanists have been disposed to refer this formation to 

 a still hig-her stage. Specimens from Harrington River examined 

 by Sir William Dawson, were referred by him to the Millstone 

 Grit. Later, in December of 1897, a small collection from these 

 beds was inspected by the writer and recognized by him as indi- 

 cating a position in the Carboniferous not far from the dividing 

 line between the Upper and Lower Carboniferous, i.e., in the 

 region of the Millstone Grit or the Pottsville of the Appalachian 

 trough. A little later a collection was submitted to Mr. Robert 

 Kidston, of Sterling, Scotland, who arrived, absolutely independ- 

 ently, at nearly the same conclusion, suggesting that the plants 

 might be even so late as the Lower Coal Measures. Both Mr. 

 Kidston and the writer recognized the approximate contem- 

 poraneity of the Riversdale plant beds with the " fern ledges" of 

 the Lancaster formation at St. John. Both regions furnish 

 species of Asierophyllites, Calamites, Sphcnopieris, Aneimites, 

 Neuropteris, Alethopteris, Cordaiies and Cardiocarpoii, which, after 

 continued study of the Carboniferous floras of the Appalachian 

 trough, I find to be characteristic of that stage. I therefore do 

 not hesitate, on the evidence of the fossil plants, to regard the 

 Harrington River plant beds as representing a level at or not far 

 below the Pottsville. 



In addition to the specimens from the Riversdale formation of 

 Nova Scotia the Whittleseya material in hand for description in- 

 cludes a single specimen from the " fern ledg^es," Lancaster form- 

 ation, at St. John, New Brunswick. On examining one of the 

 specimens of Neuropteris Sehvyni, labelled by Sir William Dawson 

 and now in the collection of McGill University, a small out- 

 cropping plant fragment was observed whose nerves suggested 

 those of Whittleseya. The removal of the rock from the remaining- 

 portion of the specimen brought to light a new and very interest- 

 ^ Trans. Nova Scotia Inst. Sci., vol. X, igoo, pp. 167-178. 



