156 THE CARBONIFEROUS SYSTEM. 



is associated with coarse sandstones and conglomerate, and probably 

 belongs to the Lower Coal Measures or Millstone-grit series, the marine 

 limestones being apparently absent. At least this is the interpretation 

 I should be inclined to put upon the appearances, in connexion with 

 the fact that along the north side of the Cobequids the marine Lower 

 Carboniferous is either absent or overlapped by the higher members 

 of the series in all the localities which I have explored. 



In the first edition of this work, I gave in detail the thickness of 

 2819 feet explored by Sir Charles Lyell and myself in 1852, omitting 

 the rest. I think it better in the present edition to give a condensed 

 view of the whole, dwelling more particularly on the constitution and 

 accompaniments of the beds of coal, and adopting the numbers and 

 divisions both of the general section of Sir W. E. Logan and of that 

 contained in my paper on the South Joggins already referred to, and 

 in a more recent paper on the " Conditions of Accumulation of Coal." 

 In excuse for occupying so much space with such details, I may plead 

 that this list presents perhaps the most minute anatomy of a coal- 

 field ever given to the public ; and that the reader who takes the 

 trouble to examine it with care, will thereby obtain a very accurate 

 conception of the arrangement and accompaniments of beds of coal, 

 and also of their probable mode of accumulation. The fossil plants 

 and animals referred to are described in the chapters devoted to 

 fossils. 



It will be observed that in this sectional view the order is descending, 

 or the reverse of that followed in the above general sketch. 



Sectional View of the Carboniferous Rocks exposed in the Coast of 

 the South Joggins, Cumberland [order descending). 



The " Divisions " and the numbers attached to the several beds of 

 coal or " Coal groups " are those of Sir W. E. Logan's section of 1845. 

 The numbers of " Subdivisions " in Roman numerals are those of the 

 author's section of 1852. 



Division 1. 



This extends along the coast from Shoulie River to the vicinity of 

 Ragged Reef, being nearly horizontal at the former place and gradually 

 assuming a decided south-west dip towards the latter. It is 1617 

 feet in vertical thickness, and constitutes the upper part of the " Upper 

 Coal Formation." It occupies the centre of the great synclinal of the 

 western part of the Cumberland coal area, and represents the newest 

 beds of the Carboniferous system. 



The rocks are thick-bedded white and gray sandstones, passing in 



