10 BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



Carboniferous or Devonian horizon. The existence of true Triassic 

 beds, occupying as they do extremely limited areas on the coast, and 

 not readily distinguished from associated Carboniferous strata, do not 

 appear to have been known to him. The accompanying traps, with 

 those of Grand Manan, are not, in the maps of either author, distin- 

 guished from other eruptives or assigned to any definite period. 



Upon the whole, the map of Dr. Robb, though confessedly based 

 upon that of Dr. Gesner, shows the results of extensive original obser- 

 vation and reflection, and though in some instances, as stated, less 

 correct in its representations than tho former, shows a decided advance 

 in the direction of sound views and more exact limitations. It was 

 the first published geological map of New Brunswick, and, so far as 

 this Province was concerned, was reproduced, without essential change, 

 in that accompanying the first edition of the '' Acadian Geology'' of 

 Sir William Dawson. 



Another, among the comparatively few instances in which Dr. 

 Robb gave public expression to his views upon geological subjects, was 

 in connection with the celebrated controversy as to the nature and 

 origin of the mineral Albertite. The question having arisen as to 

 whether this was to be regarded as coal or asphalt, or a variety of 

 either, a question involving, in connection with the then existing 

 mining laws, the ownership of a property of enormous value, experts 

 were brought forward, in several instances from considerable distances, 

 the consideration of whose testimony made the trial a very lengthy 

 one, at the same time that it tended to extend very greatly the 

 knowledge of the class of substances of which Albertite may be 

 regarded as the type. On the one hand Dr. Chas. T. Jackson, of 

 Boston, and his associates, maintained that the mineral was a true 

 coal, while Prof. Richard C. Taylor, in association with Dr. Robb, 

 asserted that it was either asphalt or a variety of asphalt. The 

 published deposition of Prof. Taylor, on behalf of Dr. Gesner, the 

 claimant, contains many interesting observations on the geology of 

 the vicinity of Hillsborough, as well as regards the peculiarities of the 

 Albertite deposit, all of which he states were made in company with 

 Dr. Robb. 



The final decision of the jury hinged, by the direction of the judge, 

 simply upon the question whether Albertite was a minerdl or not, and, 

 there, being no real doubt upon this point, was given in favor of the 

 defendants. It is, however, interesting to observe that, as regards 

 the real nature and origin of the material, the views of Taylor and 



