198 HONEYMAN ON THE GEOLOGY OF NOVA SCOTIA. 



and in a fine cross section in a brook at a distance of about a mile 

 from Cape George. There the band dips north. There are no 

 fossils in these rocks, but there is a small bed of crystalline lime- 

 stone (white marble,) which was doubtless a small fossiliferous 

 bed, and was rendered crystalline by the same action which render 

 ed the slates metamorphic. They are overlaid by a brecciated 

 conglomerate hardened, and having quartz veins. The last is 

 of lower carboniferous age. I was not aware of the existence of 

 this band of argillites, until last season. This is bounded on 

 the S. E. by a continuation of the lower carboniferous strata over- 

 lying the lower seiHes. On the south-west there is trap and 

 lower carboniferous conglomerate intersected and hardened by trap, 

 with obscurity intervening between this and the upper Arisaig series 

 (Middle and Upper Silurian.) 



The lower member of the series in question is extensively 

 distributed in Nova Scotia and Cape Breton. The syenites 

 enter largely into the constitution of their mountain ranges, 

 forming their highest elevations. They are overlaid either by 

 middle silurian — fossiliferous or non-fossiliferous — or lower car- 

 boniferous. In several localities in Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, 

 I have reason to believe that both members of the series exist, 

 more or less complete. One of these is found in the Cobequids — 

 the greater number exist in Cape Breton. George's River has 

 been illustrated. I hope next season to be able to illustrate other 

 localities equally satisfactory. 



I would, however, in the meantime make a particular observa- 

 tion upon one of these localities. In the serpen tinous strata of 

 Whycocomagh, a vein of iron has been discovered, which is re- 

 ported to be of economic importance. There can be no doubt that 

 the containing rock belongs to the Lower Arisaig series. R. G. 

 Fraser, Esq., has kindly furnished me with specimens of the rocks, 

 which are unmistakably of the second number of the series. There 

 are serpentinous schist and marble. 



I would now direct your attention to the opinions of other geo- 

 logists, on the subject before us, especially in reference to the 

 rocks of George's River. Richard Brown, F. G. S., in his late 

 admirable work, " On the Coal Fields and Coal Trade of the 



