TRANSACTIONS 
OF THE 
Nova Scotian Justitute of Natural Srience. 
ArT. I.—Nova Scotia GEOLOGY (SUPERFICIAL.) Continued from 
Transactions 1875-6. By Rev. D. Honryman, D. 
C.L., F. 8. A. F..R.S. C., Curator of the Provincial 
Museum. 
(Read Nov. 1881.) 
Part J.— HALIFAX COUNTY. 
In H. M. Dockyard, opposite the North street Station of the 
Intercolonial Railway, is an elevation known as “ Observatory 
Hill.” The removal of a considerable part of this during the past 
summer in filling up an extensive and deep pond, afforded an ad- 
mirable opportunity of examining its interior. Its proximity to 
my residence enabled me to note the progress of operations. The 
superintendent, Mr. Nolan, kindly took note of every massive 
boulder exposed, observing its position and size. “ Rudis indiges- 
taque” is its general description ; structure, it had none. It 
was just an unloaded heap of rubbish. Its chief materials were 
coarse sand and clay. Through this masses of quartzite were 
scattered from top to bottom. The weight of one was estimated 
by Mr. Nolan at 13 tons. I was present at one fall in which 
there were three enormous boulders. One of them fell upon the 
car-track ; nine men were required to remove it. Among the 
other boulders were syenites, gneisses, granites, diorites, jaspers, 
porphyries and diorite-amygdaloids from the Cobequid Moun- 
tains, and dolerite-amygdaloids from Blomidon. The form of 
this accumulation was oblong; its base occupied an area of 18 
acres ; its height was about 50 feet, more than the half of it still 
remains. 
