ABRAHAM GESNER REVIEW OF HIS SCIENTIFIC AVORK. 9 



which he regarded as underlying the red sandstones and so did 

 not distinguish on his map. His map in this respect does not 

 differ from that of Jackson and Alger. He devotes considerable 

 space to a description of the various coal basins in the northern 

 part of the province ; and to the Cobequid Mountains. He claims 

 to have discovered the importance of this chain as a natural 

 ■division between the various coal basins there. This chain, says 

 lie, contains primary rocks, but is in general composed of gray- 

 wacke and has enormous ridges of porphyry. 



The coal mines at Pictou had been opened at this time. The 

 Albion mine was being operated by the General Mining Associa- 

 tion, but only to a moderate extent, and coal mining elsewhere 

 in Nova Scotia was then scarcely pursued at all. Dr. Gesner 

 mentions that he found a few men at work on the " King Yein " 

 at the Joggins. No -work had been done at Springhill, although 

 a good seam of coal had been found there. The locality was not 

 at that time within the reach of profitable mining owing to its 

 isolated situation. 



We find that Dr. Gesner with many of the geologists of his 

 day, held the opinion that the coal flora in its " troj^ical luxuriance 

 indicated the presence of a very hot climate at the time when it 

 nourished. Lofty palms, cacti, Araucarian pines, ferns and 

 enormous rush-like plants " then covered the ground. These, on 

 account of the perfect preservation of their most delicate parts, 

 he conceives to have lived, died and been buried before the 

 Noachian Deluge. 



Among the fossils occurring at the Joggins Gesner enumerates 

 the following : — Lepidodendron acideatum Sternb. Sphenopteris 

 f rifoliata Brongt. Flag-like leaves [Cordaites borassifolia Sternb?] 

 C-d.cti = Variolm'ia Sternb. [ = Stigmaria of modern authors.] 

 Conifers [ = Dado.ryloii] Syringodendron [probably Sigillaria sp.] 

 Prdmites sulcatus [probably a Sigillaria]. PhytolithtLS transi-ersfis 

 Steinhaur, possibly a Sternhergia. Other plants are referied to 

 in general terms. Gesner estimated that half of the plants he 

 found were ferns. 



