no ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



The littoral origin of these rocks, as regards their earlier members, 

 is, in New Brunswick, sufficiently attested by the coarseness and bulk of 

 the conglomerate which constitute these members ; while their origin is 

 us clearly indicated in the fact that their contained pebbles are identical 

 with that of the Archœan ridges near by. Even higher in the series, 

 though increasing fineness indicates a deepening of the waters in which 

 the beds were deposited, the occurrence of wave-marks, ripple-marks, 

 mud-cracks and worm trails continue to afford conclusive evidence of 

 shallow water origin. And, finally, this conclusion finds confirmation in 

 the nature of the fossils, the well-known studies of which, by Matthew, 

 have enabled him not only to determine, in great detail, the successive 

 changes in that fauna as affected by the varying conditions under which 

 it was developed, but to draw probable conclusions as to its relations with 

 equivalent faunas elsewhere, and possible migrations from one region to 

 another. The most important point in connection with the comparisons, 

 so far as the subject under discussion is concerned, is that of the 

 much closer resemblance of the Acadian Cambrian fauna to that of 

 Europe than to that of interior America. Following the suggestions 

 of Dana, this is believed by Matthew to be due to the existence of a 

 barrier separating the Acadian basin from that of the continental interior, 

 accompanied at the same time by a difference in the temperature of the 

 watei's, those of the region east of the barrier feeling, as now, the influ- 

 ence of a comparatively cold Polar current, while those to the west, in- 

 cluding the St. Lawrence channel and probably the Gaspe-Worcester 

 channel, were relatively warm. It would seem to follow, as a corollary, 

 if these inferences are correct, that no similar barrier existed between the 

 eastern coast of America and the western shores of Europe ; and Matthew, 

 in a map illustrating his views, extends the zones indicating the distribu- 

 tion of the trilobitic fauna directly from the one to the other, Nova Scotia 

 being included in the probably submerged area. So, again, Walcott, in a 

 map showing the supposed distribution of what he terms the Keweenaw 

 land or continent, while recognizing the Archaean rocks of southern New 

 Brunswick as an extension of the Appalachian protaxis, and as being 

 above the sea level, does not include therein an}' part of Nova Scotia. 



Unfortunately, in passing to the last named province, to which we 

 would naturall}' look for further information, we find this to be of a 

 very unsatisfactory character; for though it is usual to assign to the 

 Cambrian system the great group of rocks along the southern coast, in 

 which are situated the various auriferous deposits now so extensively 

 worked, there is as yet no definite proof that such is their age, and there 

 are those who directly deny it. All, however, are agreed that these rocks 

 cannot be newer than Cambrian, and, although, adopting the latter view 

 as the most probable, we find, as in the case of the St. John rocks, evi- 

 dence that this source could not have been far distant, there is still no 



