TRANSACTIONS 



OF THE 



gtoini gtotim Institute of ptetat Mtitmt 



Art. I. — Nova Scotia Geology (Superficial.) Continued from 

 Transactions 1875-6. By Rev. D. Honeyman, D. 

 C. L., F. S. A., F. R. S. C, Curator of the Provincial 



Museum. 



(Read Nov. 1881.) 



Part I. — Halifax County. 

 In H. M. Dockyard, opposite the North street Station of the 

 Intercolonial Railway, is an elevation known as " Observatory 

 Hill." The removal of a considerable part of this during the past 

 summer in filling up an extensive and deep pond, afforded an ad- 

 mirable opportunity of examining its interior. Its proximity to 

 my residence enabled me to note the progress of operations. The 

 superintendent, Mr. Nolan, kindly took note of every massive 

 boulder exposed, observing its position and size. " Rudis indiges- 

 taque" is its general description; structure, it had none. It 

 was just an unloaded heap of rubbish. Its chief materials were 

 coarse sand and clay. Through this masses of quartzite were 

 scattered from top to bottom. The weight of one was estimated 

 by Mr. Nolan at 13 tons. I was present at one fall in which 

 there were three enormous boulders. One of them fell upon the 

 car-track ; nine men were required to remove it. Among the 

 other boulders were syenites, gneisses, granites, diorites, jaspers, 

 porphyries and diorite-amygdaloids from the Cobequid Moun- 

 tains, and dolerite-amygdaloids from Blomidon. The form of 

 this accumulation was oblong ; its base occupied an ar5a of 18 

 acres ; its height was about 50 feet, more than the half of it still 

 remains. 



