WILLIAMS.] J. W. DAWSON. 227 



The top of this series is followed by the Triassic, resting uncomform- 

 ably upon it. 1 



No Permian formations were known to the author, unless possibly 

 the " upper coal formation may synchronize with the Permian of 

 Europe" or " unless represented by the lower part of the sandstones of 

 Prince Edward Island." 2 



Below the Carboniferous the following series of rocks of the Devonian 

 system are reported from near St. John, New Brunswick : 3 



Feet. 



Mispeck group — Shales, sandstones, and conglomerates 1, 850 



Little River group — Upper part, conglomerates, sandstones, grits, and shales. .. 2, 350 

 Little River group — Middle and lower part, including the Cordaite shales in 



part and the Dadaxylon sandstone, shales, sandstones, and flags 2,800 



Bloomsbury group — Conglomerates, tuffaceous rocks, and sandstones and 



shales 2,500 



The upper part of the Devonian, correlated with the Chemung and 

 Portage of New York, is reported in the " Gaspe sandstones" of eastern 

 Cauada. The typical section of the Carboniferous for this province is 

 the famous South Joggins section along the coast of western Cumber- 

 land. It was measured and tabulated by Sir W. E. Logan in 1845 ; 

 was examined and further reported by Lyell and Dawson in 1852 and 

 1853. Mr. Logan estimated the total thickness at 14,570 feet 11 inches. 

 Mr. Dawson quotes it (pp. 156, et seq.) in detail. An abstract of the sec- 

 tion is as follows : 



Feet. 



Division 1. Upper coal formation 1,617 



2. Upper coal, lower part 650 



3. Middle coal formation, upper part, including 23 coal groups 2,134 



4. Middle coal, lower part, with 49 coal groups. 2,539 



5. Upper Millstone grit series 2,082 



6. Middle Millstone grit series 3, 240 



7. Lower Millstone grit series 650 



8. Upper part, Lower Carboniferous formation 1,658 



Immediately under these are beds of the marine limestone, containing 

 Productus cora, etc. This correlation of the section is Mr. Dawson's. 

 In an article read before the Philosophical Society in Philadelphia Mr. 

 J. P. Lesley, having examined the coal field of Glace Bay, objected to 

 the great thickness and to the correlation of the lower measures claimed 

 by Mr. Dawson. 4 Mr. Lesley, chiefly upon lithologic grounds, urged 

 that division 5 of the Joggins section is to be compared with the Lower 

 Carboniferous on Vespertine No. XI of Pennsylvania, and that the 

 deposits below (6, 7 and 8) would be Devonian. Mr. Dawson replied, 

 and the substance of the debate is quoted in this volume, 5 claiming 

 paleontologic evidence for his interpretation and, further, that the 

 plants of the " Chemung of New York, of the Yergent and Ponent of 

 Pennsylvania are decidedly Devonian." 



1 Acadian Geology, 2d ed., p. 128. 



8 Ibid., pp. 19, 126. 



s Ibid., pp. 503, 504. 



4 Proc. Am. Phil. Soc, Phila., 1862. 



•Acadian Geology, 2d edition, pp. 142-149. 



