204 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [June 



decomposed, and converted into peroxide of iron, and, by discoloring 

 the adjacent rocks, often marks the outcropping of a vein. 



The question may however be asked, are the veins of quartz in 

 Nova Scotia true veins, or beds? Up to the present time no 

 decision has been arrived at in reference to this subject ; and it is 

 to be regretted that the gentlemen who, during the past year, have 

 visited the gold-fields to examine them geologically, have not made 

 known their views on this point. That the quartz is found follow- 

 ing the planes of cleavage is apparent ; but whether the plane of 

 cleavage is the true bedding of the slate, is not yet fully settled. 

 If the dip and plane of cleavage are identical, then the veins of 

 quartz must be termed true beds or strata ; but if the dip and 

 plane of cleavage do not coincide, then the quartz occurs in 

 veins. A solution of this point can easily be accomplished, and 

 will be of interest to the geological student. 



The quartz-veins of Nova Scotia vary in width from one eighth 

 of an inch to eight feet, though the general width is found to 

 range from three to twenty inches. Experience has shown that 

 the larger the veins, the poorer their yield in gold. On the property 

 of the Waverley Gold-Mining Company at Waverley, there are 

 three veins respectively, twenty-four and thirty and thirty- six inches 

 in width, which are barren ; while in their neighborhood, veins 

 of from six to eighteen inches produce from thirteen to twenty 

 penny-weights of gold to the ton of quartz. In the larger veins 

 the quartz appears to be free from the foreign minerals already 

 mentioned, of a milk-white color, very much laminated, and breaks 

 into irregular masses ; while the productive quartz varies in color, 

 is pure and crystalline, breaks into more regular forms, and is 

 intimately mixed with the minerals above alluded to. 



Gold is not however entirely confined to the quartz-veins, but is 

 often found mixed with the slates on the foot-walls, and in the 

 partings in several veins. But whether it is found in the quartz, 

 in the metallic sulphurets, or in the slates, it is always pure, and, 

 where visible, is seen in the form of grains or nuggets, called 'sights' 

 by the miners. In some cases, however, it is invisible to the eye, 

 and can only be separated by crushing and amalgamation. It has 

 been observed, that where a very large sight, or quantity of sights, 

 is found, which would indicate increased richness in the vein, it 

 most generally follows that for some distance or depth on either 

 side of the rich spot thte vein is almost barren. 



Veins do not preserve their width as they descend : they are 



