260 THE PICTOU COAL FIELD — POOLE. 



the rocks of the older system inckide slaty red argillites and 

 compact conglomerates with pebbles ot" vermilion slates very 

 similar to some conglomei'ate boulders found in the newer con- 

 glomerate deposits at Alma. 



Debris in the brook would indicate the presence of Devonian 

 strata not far to the southward. At Union Centre, on the 

 Middle river, compact limestone of this series is to le seen just 

 bel^w the l>ridge associated above the bridge with strata 

 shewing well preseved calamites, calamodendron and cordaites 

 and of ferns, sphenopteris and arch{»opteris ; the locality offering 

 the best opportunity in the district for the study of the flora 

 of this series. Higher up the close to the contact with the 

 Devonian a band of agglomerated limestone crosses. 



Passinof over the coal field to the hill ranoe that bounds it on the 

 north, and going eastward up McCulloch's Brook, Lower Carboni- 

 ferous rocks are met with at the most northerly point the brook 

 reaches at the foot of Waters' hill. They are in a sharp anticline 

 on the northern side of older rocks and appear to occupy the 

 depression between Waters' hill and the next western eleva- 

 tion of Devonian similarly to the gypsiferous beds that 

 611 the depressions between the peaks of Waters' hill. The 

 anticline indicates an east and west fault to have thrown the 

 knoll of old rock that lies immediatel}" west of Waters' hill out 

 of line with the range and to the southwai-d, leaving carboni- 

 ferous strata between them. 



The gypsum associated with these beds is often semi-fibrous 

 and stained red and green. It is to be seen at several points in 

 the hollow of the road south of Jardine's house; in a shallow 

 well close to the house of J. McDonald by the side of Waters' 

 brook, and also on the crown of the hill 80 yards west of Waters' 

 house in contact with Devonian strata ; again on Waters' brook 

 100 yards above the railway. McDonald's house is close by the 

 western exposure of Devonian limestone already referred to. 



Along this range and especially at a point some 300 yards 

 west of the limestone fragments of limonite have l>een found. 

 They are possibly from a deposit similar to that at Bridgeville 

 at the contact of Lower Carboniferous with older systems, but 



