152 Canadian Record of Science. 



depositions occur at various horizons, and were it not for 

 their entombed fossils it would be practically impossible 

 to state in which of the sub-divisions of the Palaeozoic 

 column to place them. 



Inasmuch as sedimentation, as marked by cycles of 

 constructive forms was not continuous, the basis or 

 principle upon which the separation of the different 

 members of the series is made must obtain chiefly in the 

 palajontological evidence collected in the various members 

 of the stratigraphical series, which latter, though not 

 perfect, is, nevertheless, known as to its order. 



It is a universally accepted principle in Geology that 

 similarity and identity of organic forms occurring in cer- 

 tain geological formations or portions of formations assist 

 us in uniting series of sediments as part and parcel of 

 one system, whilst dissimilarity enables one to separate 

 series of sediments from which they were derived. 



A Standard series of life-zones belonging to the Car- 

 boniferous system can be very easily prepared, and in 

 order that it can be taken as typical, it must be in accord 

 with the consensus of opinion with the rest of the world,, 

 based upon records of observation and comparison. It 

 must in no wise contain an assemblage of types which are 

 different from those everywhere held to be of Carboni- 

 ferous age. Fortunately for the geologist in Nova Scotia, 

 (unconformities and breaks in the succession of strata 

 not considered), there is abundant evidence of life of vari- 

 ous orders and classes entombed in the various formations. 



There is in Cumberland County one grand and con- 

 tinuous section of strata of the Carboniferous system 

 from Minudie south, forming the succession known as 

 the " Joggins Section," described in detail by Sir 

 Wm. Logan and subsequently by Sir Wm. Dawson 

 and Dr. E. W. Ells. It extends from Minudie to 

 McCarren's Cove along the Joggins shore. This forms 

 one Standard Section. No other such exists in Nova. 



