II. — Evidence of the Post-glacial Extension of the 

 Southern Coast of Nova Scotia. — By W. H. Prest. 



(Read Feb. Sth, 1892.) 



At various points on our soutliern coast are deposits of peat 

 and marsh mud below high water mark. These often contain 

 roots and stumps of trees now existing in this Province, and, 

 by their position and by other circumstances, point conclusively 

 to a late subsidence of the lantl. 



Similar deposits have been referred to by geologists as exist- 

 ing on the coast of Cumberland Count}', and the same conclusion 

 has been drawn from their occurrence there. I will here give 

 further evidence which may be of value in future investiga- 

 tions. 



Below Black Point, at the mouth of the Liverpool River, 

 Queens County, is a deposit of black mud containing roots of 

 bushes. In some places the mud, nearly one foot thick, has 

 been washed away by the force of the waves, disclosing the 

 angular rocks beneath, which show no appearance of ever having 

 been part of a sea beach. The marsh has now a covering of sea 

 shells, and is daily washed b}^ the tides. 



On the coast at Black Rocks, south-east of Lunenburg, is 

 another deposit of peat and mud containing tree stumps and 

 roots. This peat bed is situated in a deep gulch or valley at the 

 head of a cove, and is several feet deep. It is underlaid on each 

 side of the gulch by what is probably a beach of sand and 

 gravel, and overlaid b}' a slight deposit of sand and sea shells. 

 Whether the underlying beach is of marine or fluviatile origin I 

 am not prepared to say, but the surface of the peat is washed 

 daily by the tides. The following section will fairly illustrate 

 the subject: 



M' 



Cambrian slates. 

 Section — ! 2. Sand and PTavel. 



te' 



3. Peat and mud, containing tree stumps. 

 (143) 



