174 SUBDIVISIONS OF THE CARBONIFEROUS SYSTEM 
including Insects, Phyllopods, Crustaceans, Amphibians and 
Lamellibranchiata, are all types which are markedly akin to. 
types well known to occur in the Carboniferous of other 
countries, and more than that, such are usually met with in the. 
Coal Measures of the same.* 
It has been one of my constant endeavours to obtain 
Devonian fossils from those areas of Nova Scotia ascribed to. 
the Devonian in the Riversdale and Harrington River Sections ; 
but I have found only Carboniferous types. 
EVIDENCE FROM PLANT LIFE. 
Besides the above, there is the evidence adduced from the 
flora collected in the strata which yielded the forms of animal 
life just cited above, and it can be truly said that it also has a 
decided Carboniferous facies. The genera Asterophyllites, Sphen- 
opteris, Alethopteris, Cardiopteris, Stigmariu, Calamites, Poac- 
ites, Cordaites are all represented. From communications recently 
received from Mr. Robert Kidston, of Stirling, Scotland, the well- 
known author of the British Museum Catalogue of Carboniferous 
Plants, who has examined the forms sent him, we learn that he is 
satisfied that the flora is truly a Carboniferous one. 
Quite independently, Prof. David White of the Smithsonian 
Institution and United States Geological Survey at Washington, 
arrived at the same conciusion when he kindly made a prelimin- 
ary examination of the collections from Nova Scotia cited above, 
and then in our possession at Ottawa, and invariably referred 
the forms detected to the Carboniferous system. 
From our own study of the numerous collections obtained in 
the so-called disputed areas in question, from the areas of the 
Riversdale formation, we cannot but come to the conclusion that 
instead of finding Devonian types of plants and animals, they 
proved in almost every case to be Carboniferous. Neither is it 
to be wondered at, that, on studying the affinities and relations 
of the fossil plants, etc., of Riversdale, McKay’s Head, and Har- 
* The term ‘‘Coal Measures” is an unfortunate one to designate a Geological formation, 
and should never be used to designate horizon. It is a purely lithological or econ- 
omic term, and conveys no idea of the Geological position in the Time scale: 
Productive Coal Measures can occur at any horizon in the ©arboniferous. 
