306 HONEYMAN — ON PKE-GARBONIFEROUS ROCKS OF PICTOU. 



by Dr. J. W. Dawson, who considered them to be of Devonian 

 age, and on his authority they will be so distinguished." 



I presume that this language is intended to apply to the area 

 indicated on the S. E. corner of the map which accompanies Sir 

 W. Logan's Report, which is distinguished by the Devonian colour- 

 ing. Now, this area has its N. E. corner at the Falls of Suther- 

 land's River, and its S. E. corner at the bridge at McPherson's 

 mills, so that in addition to the Northern part of McLellan's 

 Mountain (range) the area in question includes also a part of 

 SutJierland's River. 



In my last paper read before the Institute, " On the Pre- 

 Carboniferous Rocks underlying the Pictou Coal Field," I conclud- 

 ed thus : "It may seem strange that I have made no mention of 

 the Devonian formation which is so often spoken of in connection 

 with the strata underlying the Pictou Coal Field. The reason why 

 is this — there is no Devonian |o be found there." — Transactions 

 1870-71. 



This language was made to apply to the supposed Devonian 

 Rocks of Sir W. Logan's report, as well as to the others. 



The evidence upon which Sir W. Logan bases his conclusion, is 

 lithoiogical, in the supposed absence of stratigraphical and palae- 

 ontological evidence.* , 



The conclusion at which I had arrived was altogether based on 

 palaeontology and stratigraphy. 



I had occasion to examine the area in question about a year 

 after Sir W. Logan's examination. I had often cursorily examined 

 the locality, and picked up Silurian fossils in it, so that I had for 

 years been convinced that the prevailing rocks were of Silurian 

 age. On this occasion, however, I made a careful and thorough 

 examination, and was rewarded with many important discoveries. 

 In the area in question we have, 1. Quartzites and argillites of the 

 northern part of McLellan's Mountain. These are so highly 

 metamorphic that I considered it useless labour to search for fossils 

 in them. Besides coming upon them from the south, I had no 



♦Note — In reference to this kind of evidence, Prof. Dana well observes that 

 in the absence of Stratigraphical and Palaaontological evidence " Lithology may 

 give us guesses but nothing more substantial." Nature No. Feb. 12, 1872, 

 page 331. 



