1865.] MATTHEW — SOIJTHEKK NEW BRUNSWICK. 431 



the United States frontier. And in another (south-east) direction 

 a belt of Lower Carboniferous deposits, bending around the meta- 

 morphic hills of the coast, passes beneath the waters of the Bay of 

 Pundy, being connected, however, with the western termination of 

 the larger area in Kennebeckasis Bay by isolated patches along the 

 shores of the Bay of Pundy. 



The lowest members of the formation, which I have examined, 

 are thin beds of conglomerate and bituminous limestone, gypsife- 

 rous beds, and heavy masses of grey limestone. In connexion with 

 these there are grey shales towards the western part of the Kenne- 

 beckasis valley, which may represent the Albert shales (pyroschists) 

 placed by Dr. Dawson at the base of the series in Albert county. 

 Eich deposits of manganese occur at the summit of this portion of 

 the series. 



Heavy beds of coarse conglomerate (" Kennebeckasis conglome- 

 rate ") overlie the limestones, and, with the associated brownish-red 

 sandstones and shales, form conspicuous ridges in various parts of the 

 valley and along the coast. Limestones appear in connexion with 

 this part of the series ; but whether they are a portion of the older 

 beds brought up by a fault, or are of later origin, has not been ascer- 

 tained. 



According to the observations of Messrs. Bailey and Hartt, the 

 grey flags and shales, observed by myself and others on the lower 

 courses of the Kennebeckasis, extend through Sussex, Elgin, and 

 Dover, nearly to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, having associated with it 

 a mass of pyroschists similar to those of the Albert Mines, and yielding 

 Lepidodendron corriigatum, Ci/clopteris Acadica, and other Lower Car- 

 boniferous forms. This group, so far as I can judge from the im- 

 perfect data in my possession, is at or near the summit of the series. 



The Lower Carboniferous rocks which underlie the western part 

 of the great coal-field, and crop out along its margin, present features 

 somewhat different from those of the district just sketched. This 

 difference consists in the addition of claystones, amj^gdaloids, tufas, 

 and trap-beds, resulting from igneous eruptions, the (apparent) 

 absence of bituminous shales, and the diminution of coarse frag- 

 mental deposits*. 



The history of this epoch, as shown by the deposits to which 

 reference has been made, appears to have opened with a period of 

 comparative quiescence, during which extensive limestone beds and 

 gypsiferous strata were laid down in the southern part of the 

 province. The later part of this period, during which the coarse 

 and massive conglomerates of the Kennebeckasis were accumulated, 

 was marked by greater disturbances and the abrasion of the great 

 folds into which thePrae-carboniferous formations had been thrown, and 

 was also accompanied by extensive and long- continued igneous out- 

 bursts in the more central districts. To the time of this or a similar 

 disturbance may be attributed the auriferous Lower Carboniferous 

 drift of Gay's River, Nova Scotia, observed by Mr. Harttf — a dis- 

 covery of some interest. 



* Dr. Jas. Robb and Prof. L. W. Bailey. t See Can. Nat. 1864, p. 459. 



2 G 2 



