374 



THE AZOIC SYSTEM AND ITS SUBDIVISIONS. 



According to Dr. 



he assumes that they are so, and by faults, overturns, etc. endeavors to 

 make the stratigraphy coincide with his theoretical views. The fault 

 is always in the formation, never in the theory. 

 Hunt's own statements, ho had, previous to his visit to New Brunswick 

 in 1869 and 1870, but little acquaintance with Huronian rocks. Since 

 that, however, he has referred the felsites of Eastern Massachusetts, 

 Pennsylvania, Missouri, and elsewhere, to the Huronian, because they 

 lithologically resemble the rocks of New Brunswick, referred by him to 

 that age. He ought, therefore, if he really believes that rocks of the 

 same kind can only occur at the same_ epoch, to now refer all these fel- 

 sites to the Upper Silurian, Prof. Bailey having shown that to bo tlieir 

 true position, as stated on a previous page. We, however, believe that 

 they are rhyolitic lavas and ashes, and hence that they may occur at 

 any ago and time. That they are of volcanic origin is admitted by Mr. 



Selwyn also. 



The reader should not fail to notice that, if credit is due any one for 

 the so-called establishment of the Huronian in New Brunswick, such 

 credit is to be given to Messrs. Matthew and Bailey, and not to Dr. 

 Hunt; also that the last-named gained his chief knowledge of the 

 Huronian rocks from the study of that formation as established by 

 Matthew and Bailey in New Brunswick, —that he was actually their 

 pupil, and not they his, as ho woidd give us to understand. 



The various opinions held at different times by the geologists con- 

 nected with the Survey of New Brunswick with regard to the classifica- 

 tion and nomenclature of the older formation will be found presented 

 in the tabular view (Table A.) given herewith. 



NOVA SCOTIA. 



Prof. Henry Y. Hind in 1870 described two scries of gneissoid rocks 

 which he regarded as probably Huronian (Cambrian) and Laurentian. 

 (Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc., XXVI. pp. 408-479.) He gives the following 

 as his reasons for this supposition : 



4 



" 1st. The unconformable contact of the Lower Silurian gold-bearing strata 

 with the underlying gneiaaold and achiatose series. 



"2nd. The unconformable contact of this gneissoid and schistose series with 

 the old porphyritic gneiss .... before d(;scribed as Laurentian. 



