210 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. X. 



RECENT DEPOSITS, INCLUDING SAND DUNES, MARL AND 



PEAT BEDS, ETC. 



Recent deposits of marine or estuarine origin occur at Bathurst, 

 at the mouth of the Restigouche and elsewhere, and sand dunes 

 or '' points," as they are called, of considerable area have been 

 thrown up at Belledune and Heron Island, and appear to be 

 increasing in extent by the addition of fresh material at intervals. 

 These dunes are composed chiefly of loose sand washed up by 

 the waves; and high spring tides often roll over them leaving 

 drift wood on their surfaces. Belledune Point is one of these 

 formations — the largest probably in the region — and juts out 

 into the Bay three-fourths of a mile or more. At its outer 

 extremity it is made up largely of pebbles half an inch to one 

 inch in diameter, while near the bank or shore the material is 

 chiefly fine sand. A submarine rocky ledge runs out here into 

 the Bay a few fathoms under the surface of the water, 

 and this dune is evidently a sand flat thrown up on it as 

 high as the sea is capable of forming sand beaches. Its 

 shape is triangular, and the material composing it appears to 

 have been forced up from the sea bottom at successive intervals 

 on the northeast side of the dune into parallel ridges, their 

 general direction being about northeast and southwest. These 

 ridges are of various widths and elevations, but the oldest or 

 first found are 4 or 5 feet lower than those of more recent date, 

 yet preserve their original shape, although in spots they are 

 covered with a scrubby growth of wood. They are protected 

 from erosion on the northeast by a sandbank thrown up along 

 the run of the dune, which is several feet higher than the earliest 

 formed ridges. A comparison of the heights of all these ridges 

 would seem to indicate a gradual subsidence of the land during 

 the period of their formation. 



Little Belledune Point affords proofs of having been similarly 

 formed, except that the ridges extend northwest and southeast. 

 Neither of these sand dunes is near the mouth of any river and 

 hence, as already indicated, the materials of which they are com- 

 posed must have been washed up by the force of the sea during 

 storms from the shallow bottom surrounding them. On the oppo- 

 site side of the Baie de Chaleur dunes are in process of formation 

 at Carleton, Paspebiac and other places which are evidently re- 

 ferable to the same cause. 



