HONEYMAN — ON IRON DEPOSITS OF PICTOU COUNTF. 173 



Mr. Hartley by a singular process of reasoning, infers the 

 probable Upper Silurian age of the Limonite from the probable 

 Upper Silurian age of the Specular ore referred to, vide Appendix, 

 Mr. Hartley in the quotation^ evidently regards the litholoo'ical 

 dissimilarity existing between the Specular iron bearing rocks and 

 the supposed Devonian rocks of McLellan's Mountain and Waters' 

 Hill as the result of difference of o-eolo^ical ao^e. 



On pakeontological and stratigraphical grounds I have proved 

 that all are of Middle Silurian age. Waters' Hill being the only 

 possible exception . It is not difficult to account for the acknow- 

 ledged lithological dissimilarity referred to. 



On comparing the strata of Clinton age at Arisaig with those 

 at Barney's River and French Eiver, Merigomish, where the rocks 

 in both cases are fossiliferous and nearly in an unaltered condition, 

 we find great difference in lithological character. My (B) or 

 Lower Clinton at Arisaig consists principally of homogeneous 

 shales of black colour, leading people to infer the existence of coal. 

 The same is their character at Sutherland's River. At Meris^omish 

 the same are greenish and soft. 



At Arisaig (B and BQ Lower and L^pper Clinton are so differ, 

 ent in their lithological aspect and palaeontology, that I Vv'as 

 disposed to separate them, but fortunately I discovered in (B) a 

 nodule containing Graptolithus Clintonensis, Hall^ the characteristic 

 fossil of (BQ, and consequently I designated the two respectivelv 

 as Lovvcr and Upper Clinton. At Merigomish (B Sc B^) are 

 lithologically similar, and are only distinguishable by their fossils, 

 consequently we have reason to expect lithological diversity in the 

 two sets of strata when metamorphosed. 



This is precisely what Mr. Hartley observed at East River and 

 McLellan's Mountain, and what he was unconsciously led to 

 misinterpret. 



The metamorphosed black slates containing the Specular iron 

 ore have by their colour, led to a search for coal, as at Arisaig, while 

 other appearances at East River, Waters' Hill, and McLellan's 

 Mountain have some correspondence with the other lithological 

 aspect of unaltered and fossiliferous strata of Clinton age. 



