76 BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



ARTICLE III. 



THE VOLCANIC ROCKS OF THE MARITIME 

 PROVINCES OF CANADA. 



By W. D. Matthew, Ph. D. 



Read May 7, 1895. 



In discussing the volcanic rocks of the Atlantic coast 

 it is convenient in several respects to consider first those 

 of the Maritime Provinces. For — 



1. They occur here in as great, or greater abund- 

 ance than in any of the areas to the south-west of them. 



2. They have been recognized as such from very 

 early times, and their extensive occurrence has never been 

 questioned. 



3. They are comparativel}^ little altered — less so 

 than many of those in the United States. 



4. There is no question as to the age of a large part 

 of them. 



It may be as w^ell to outline briefly the general geologi- 

 cal structure of New Brunswick in order to make clear 

 the arrangement of the volcanic rocks. The province is 

 divided into three areas of very different geologic features. 

 To the south, fronting on the Bay of Fundy, lies a rugged 

 and hilly region of very complicated geology, con- 

 sisting largely of north-east and south-west ridges of 

 metamorphic rocks, with the valleys between partly filled 

 by later sediments. To the north of this lies a great tri- 

 angular area of carboniferous rocks, flat-lying, seldom over 



