336 Canadian Record of Science. 



The study of certain rock formations in Southern New 

 Brunswick, which have long been known under the head 

 of Devonian, was undertaken by several local geologists, 

 notably Hartt, Matthew and Bailey, nearly forty years 

 ago, and a statement of the results then obtained will be 

 found in a report by Professor Bailey entitled " Observa- 

 tions on the Geology of Southern New Brunswick " and 

 published in 1865. The details of the Devonian forma- 

 tions were at that time but little worked out, a large part 

 of what has since been recognized as pre-Canibrian in the 

 south-eastern portion of the province being included. 

 The stratigraphical relations of certain divisions of the 

 Devonian rocks, both to the underlying upper Silurian 

 and the overlying lower Carboniferous, were, however, 

 early recognized, and the finding of a rich flora in the 

 strata at a number of points added greatly to the interest 

 of the investigation. To the late Sir William Dawson, 

 then presumably the ablest Palseobotanist on this side of 

 the Atlantic, was assigned the task of deciphering the 

 correct horizon of the plant remains thus discovered. 



That Sir William was especially fitted for this work 

 cannot be denied. He had just completed a series of 

 investigations on the flora and fauna found in the 

 Devonian of Eastern Gaspe, and his work was facilitated 

 by the study of collections of fossil, plants from Ohio, 

 New York and Great Britain. Elaborate sections of the 

 Gaspe Devonian had already been made by Sir William 

 Logan ^ and the true position of the rocks in this area was 

 ascertained beyond a doubt, since the lower portion of the 

 section passes downward into the upper part of the 

 Silurian. The thickness of the Devonian rocks as deter- 

 mined by the Gaspe section was found to be somewhat 

 over 7,000 feet. 



Fresh from the study of the Gaspe fossils. Sir William 

 Dawson began his study of the plant remains from the 



1 Eep. Geol. Sur. Can., 1S44. 



