INo. 2.] DAWSON — IRON ORES OF NOVA SCOTIA. 133 



described, and with the other ores on the East River of Pictou 

 possessed by tlie same proprietors. From the Report of Mr. 

 Andrews on the second geological district of Ohio, it would ap- 

 pear that similar beds, though on a smaller scale, occur in the 

 Lower Carboniferous series of that State. In Nova Scotia this 

 bed is at present altogether unique. 



Clay Ironstones occur in many parts of the Nova Scotia coal- 

 field. In the workings of the main seam of the Albion Mines, 

 Pictou, considerable quantities of nodular black ironstone are 

 extracted, and will, no doubt, be utilized. In the beds under the 

 main seam there are also clays rich in ironstone concretions. 

 Beds with ironstone balls also occur in the measures north of the 

 New Griasgow conglomerate, and one of these is remarkable for 

 the fact that the nodules were found by Dr. Harrington to contain 

 nuclei of Blende, a mineral otherwise unknown in the carbonife- 

 rous of Nova Scotia. No attention has yet been given to these 

 ores as sources of iron, but it may be anticipated that a demand 

 for them will arise in connection with the richer ores in the 

 older formations.. 



II. Veins of Iron Ore. 



(1) Great Specular Iron Veins of the Silurian Slates and 



Quartzites. 



In a paper on the metamorphic and metalliferous rocks of 

 Eastern Nova Scotia in 1848,^^ I mentioned the fact that the in- 

 land series of metamorphic rocks (bounding the coast series now 

 known as the gold-bearing series) and believed to be of Upper or 

 Middle Silurian age, abound in veins of specular iron, associated 

 with spathic iron and ferruginous dolomite, and occasionally with 

 metallic sulphides, and I described some of these deposits. In 

 the country eastward of Lochaber Lake, where this same forma- 

 tion occurs, not only are numerous small veins of specular iron 

 and carbonate of iron found in it, but a rich vein of Copper 

 Pyrites, noticed in " Acadian Geology," has recently been opened 

 up and found to be very valuable. 



In most parts of the region these iron veins, though very 

 numerous, are of trifling thickness ; but in two localities they 

 are known to attsin to gigantic dimensions, rendering them of 

 great economic importance. 



* Journal of Geological Society of London. 



