30 THE TRIAS. 



5 inclusive, of the above section mav be referred to the lower divi- 

 sion, or " Bunter," and the remainder to the upper division of the 

 formation, or " Keuper." The dips are so low, and the beds so 

 much affected by oblique stratification, that those of the Trias cannot 

 be said to be unconformable to the underlying Carboniferous rocks; 

 and for this reason, as well as on account of the similarity in mineral 

 character between the two groups, some uncertainty may rest on 

 the position of the line of separation. That above stated depends 

 on fossils, or a somewhat abrupt change of mineral character, and 

 on a slight change in the direction of the dip. These beds spread 

 over the greater part of the island, presenting a nearly horizontal 

 attitude, or lying in very flat synclinals and anticlinals. They are 

 well seen in the coast cliffs in many places, and several of these 

 coast sections are given in the Report above referred to. 



The general sections (Figs. 2, 3) show the arrangement of this 

 formation and its relations to those of Nova Scotia. 



Fossils are rare in the Triassic beds. Of plants, one of the most 

 interesting is a species of coniferous tree distinct from that occurring 

 in the Carboniferous beds beneath, and allied to Daduxylon Keuperi- 

 anum of the European Trias. I have described it under the name 

 D. Edvardianum. Another is apparently a small cycadean stem, 

 which I have described as Cycadeoidea (Mantellia) Abequidensis, from 

 the old Micmac name of the Island.* Beside these there are Knorria- 

 like stems, a coarsely marked Sternbergia, and impressions resembling 

 fucoids. The only animal fossil yet known is Bathygnathus borealis, 

 Leidy, described in Chapter VIII. The added knowledge of such fossils 

 since that chapter was written, now enables us to refer this animal to 

 the group of carnivorous dinosaurs, the highest known reptiles, and to 

 regard it as a terrestrial animal, probably provided with large hind 

 limbs for leaping, and to enable it to assume an erect position at will. 

 That remains of such creatures should be exceedingly few is not 

 wonderful, when we consider that at the time when they lived Prince 

 Edward Island must have been a submarine bank, on which the car- 

 cases of animals living on the neighbouring lands must have been 

 very rarely deposited, even if we suppose these lands extensive and 

 well peopled with reptilian forms. 



6. THE PERMO-CARBONIFEROUS. 



Chapter IX., headed " The Permian Blank," is devoted to the 

 inquiry as to whether any part of the uppermost layers of the Car- 

 boniferous may, in part at least, represent this system of formations as 



* Report, p. 45. 



