IN NOVA SCOTIA—ELLS. 435 
were left behind, so that the facilities for detailed careful 
examination and comparison were rarely found. That so large 
an amount of really valuable information was obtained in those 
early days is matter for gratulation and clearly proves that these 
early students of the earth’s crust were not only careful obser- 
vers but were imbued with the true scientific spirit. 
Probably the earliest description, from the scientific stand- 
point, of the rocks found in Nova Scotia, is contained in a 
somewhat lengthy paper, contributed to the American Journal 
of Science by Messrs. Jackson and Alger, two leading American 
geologists, in 1828-29. This paper was illustrated by a sketch 
map of a portion of the province, whichis probably the first 
attempt at a geological map issued in Canada. 
Without going into details as to the points of structure which 
are there described, it may be said that this paper contains much 
interesting information relative to the trap formations of the 
Bay of Fundy, and to their contained minerals. The gypsum 
deposits, found along the south side of the Basin of Minas, also 
received a fair amount of attention, and there is a good descrip- 
tion of the iron ores which oecur in portions of the South 
Mountain range at different points. 
At that early date the long list of names now employed to 
distinguish the many formations to which the various rocks 
which form the earth’s crust are now assigned was not formu- 
lated. The use of the term Primitive for certain granite masses 
was common, and these were supposed to represent the oldest 
group of rocks. The term Transition was also employed to 
designate certain altered sediments which are in contact with 
the granites at different points; but such names as Silurian, 
Devonian, Carboniferous and Triassic were not yet invented. 
The terms trap, sandstone and slate are, in this early paper, 
in general use, but details of geological structure are almost 
entirely wanting. The article, however, is interesting from 
its very full description of the trap formation found in the 
North Mountain range, and tosome extent valuable from the 
description therein contained relative to the mode of occurrence 
