A SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND LABOURS OF DR. ROBB. 9 



these gentlemen on the matter ; but after his death I know I encouraged them 

 to collect, though I had no idea of the rich results that were to reward their 

 researches, and especially those of Mr. Matthew. 



Sir William goes on to say: " I regarded Dr. Robb as an accom- 

 plished geologist, though I often regretted that the pressure of educa- 

 tional and other work, and perhaps his own quiet and retiring disposition, 

 prevented him from cultivating more extensively the field for original 

 research presented to him in New Brunswick." 



In this connection it is gratifying to know that one of the largest 

 and moot abundant of the fossil plants found in the Fern Ledges at 

 Carleton is a Cordaites, bearing the specific designation of C. Robbii. 



No Devonian rocks, as such, are distinguished in the map of Dr. 

 Robb, those of the vicinity of St. John and Lepreau being included in 

 the supposed Upper Silurian area, while those of Passamaquoddy Bay 

 (St. Andrews' peninsula) are, not unnaturally, associated with the red 

 rocks of Kings and Westmorland and Albert, under the lithological 

 designation of " Red Sandstones," etc. These, as already stated, were 

 by Gesner regarded as newer than the coal formation, while by Robb 

 they were looked upon as being beneath the latter, and " of the age of 

 the mountain limestone, or perhaps of the Devonian strata. As it is 

 now known that these " red sandstones," etc., include not only the 

 equivalents of the mountain limestone and other lower carboniferous 

 strata, but the Devonian plant-bearing beds of Perry, Maine, and those 

 which, on the Bay Chaleur, hold remains of Coccosteus, Pterichthys, and 

 other fishes of the old red sandstone type, it will be seen that Dr. 

 Robb's anticipations in this respect have been fully confirmed. It is 

 to be noticed, also, that the area assigned to these red rocks in Albert 

 and Westmorland Counties is greatly reduced in the map of Dr. Robb, 

 the districts thus represented being referred, though not with strict 

 accuracy as to limits, to the coal formation. 



The Lower Carboniferous outlier of the Tobique Valley is correctly 

 indicated, though not definitely referred to this formation. 



With the exception above referred to, the tracts assigned to the 

 coal formation, as outlined by Dr. Robb, agree with those of Dr. Gesner 

 and with the results of later observations. In their estimate, however, 

 of the productive capacity of the coal field, the views of the two authors 

 differ widely, those of Dr. Robb being far more moderate, and; as now 

 believed, much nearer the truth. 



It has been already stated that the red sandstones, etc., regarded 

 by Dr. Gesner as " New Red," were by Dr. Robb referred to a Lower 



