of Nova Scotia. 141 



Stro]jTiomena depressa^ and species of Avicula, Belleroplion^ Favo- 

 sites, Zaphrentis, &c. These Prof. Hall compares with the 

 fauna of the Oriskany sandstone ; and they seem to give indubita- 

 ble testimony that theNictaux iron ore is of Lower Devonian age. 



To the southward of the ore the country exhibits a succession 

 of ridges of slate holding similar fossils, and probably represent- 

 ing a thick series of Devonian beds, though it is quite possible 

 that some of them may be repeated by faults or folds. Farther 

 to the south these slates are associated with bands of crystalline 

 greenstone and quartz rock, and are then interrupted by a great 

 mass of white granite, which extends far into the interior and 

 separates these beds from the similar, but non-fossiliferous rocks 

 on the inner side of the metamorphic band of the Atlantic coast. 

 The Devonian beds appear to dip into the granite, which is in- 

 trusive and alters the slates near the junction into gneissoid rock 

 holding garnets. The granite sends veins into the slates, and near 

 the junction contains numerous angular fragments of altered 

 slate. 



Westward of the Nictaux River, the granite abruptly crosses 

 the line of strike of the slates, and extends quite to their northern 

 border, cutting them off in the manner of a huge dyke, from their 

 continuation about ten miles further westward. The beds of slate 

 in running against this great dyke of granite, change in strike 

 from south-west to west, near the junction, and become slightly 

 contorted and altered into gneiss, and filled with granite veins ; 

 but in some places they retain traces of their fossils to within 200 

 yards of the granite. The intrusion of this great mass of granite 

 without material disturbance of the strike of the slates, conveys 

 the impression that it has melted quietly through the stratified 

 deposits, or that these have been locally crystallised into granite 

 in situ. 



Moose River. 



At this place the iron ore and its associated beds recur on the 

 western side of the granite before mentioned, but in a state of 

 greater metamorphism than at Nictaux. The iron is here in 

 the state of magnetic ore, but still holds fossil shells of the same 

 species with those of Nictaux. 



Bear River. 



On this stream, near the bridge by which the main road crosses 

 it, beds equivalent to those of Nictaux occur with a profusion 



