268 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Yol. vii. 



ON THE POST-PLIOCENE FORMATION NEAR 

 BATHURST, NEW BRUNSWICK. 



By Rev. C. H. Paisley, M.A. 



In the Post-pliocene formation of the County Gloucester, quite 

 widely distributed at the mouths of its rivers, and at many 

 places on the sea coast, there is usually very little difficulty in 

 observing the presence of the three members of the group, viz. : 



Boulder Clay, 

 Leda Clay, 

 Saxicava Sand. 



All three, so far as examination extends, are usually, if not in- 

 variably, present in well-defined superposition, and that part of 

 the group which corresponds with the upper portion of the Leda 

 clay and the lower portion of the Saxicava sand is generally fos- 

 siliferous. At two places in the neighbourhood of Bathurst, on 

 the line of the Intercolonial Railway, there are good exposures 

 of this formation. The one is about 2^^ miles distant on the 

 left bank of the Tattagouche River (I'u?. Naturalist, No. 1, Vol. 

 vii. p. 41), and the other about f of a mile distant from St. 

 Peter's Village. 



With regard to the general characteristics of the Post-pliocene 

 in these localities, it may be said that they are similar in very 

 many respects to those of the same formation on the St. Law- 

 rence, as described by Dr. Dawson, and at St. John, as described 

 by Mr. Matthew. 



The boulder clay usually presents a banded appearance of 

 red alternating with a bluish tint, and in some parts can be 

 observed obscure traces of stratification. It is scantily fossil- 

 iferous, containing occasional valves of Mya arenaria, Natica 

 &G., so much decomposed that they cannot be removed. The 

 boulders are, in some places, numerous, not however so much so 

 as to give a very marked character to the beds, which are of 

 unequal thickness, but, in a general way, thin out towards the 

 present sea shore. Some of the boulders must have been 

 brought a considerable distance, although all but the softer 

 variety are angular and wedge-shaped, not having undergone 

 jnuch wear in transportation. Most of them are very dissimilar 



