230 THE DEVONIAN AND CARBONIFEROUS. Ibull.80. 



• 



the Illinois, and the Michigan fields, the fields in Canada, in New Bruns- 

 wick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Gape Breton, are of great 

 importance. 



The Carboniferous series of Nova Scotia are conveniently divided 

 into three parts : " (1) An upper series, composed of shales and sand- 

 stones bearing fossil plants ; (2) a middle series, containing the pro- 

 ductive Coal Measures; (3) the lower series, consisting of red sandstones 

 and marls, with gypsum and limestones." 



The Albion mines, near Pictou, show the greatest thickness of coal 

 (some thirteen yards or more). An admirable section of the whole 

 series is also seen on the South Joggins River, containing numerous 

 fossil plants. 



Mr. Richard Brown 1 reported in 1846 the finding, in the Sydney coal 

 field of Cape Breton, in a stratum of arenaceous shale, of erect fossil 

 trees, showing attached rootlets. This stratum, which has a thickness 

 of 5 feet, occurs below the main seam of coal. Vast quantities of 

 Sigillaria stems, Catamites, and Lepidodendra were also recognized, as 

 well as a great variety of ferns. 



In 1847 the same author reported upon the gypsiferous strata of 

 Cape Dauphin. 



Mr. Lyell had shown that the gypsiferous deposits of Nova Scotia 

 and Cape Breton are closely connected with the older Carboniferous 

 series, and are representatives of the Carboniferous limestones of 

 Europe. The author proves this statement by giving a section from 

 Cape Dauphin, 2 in which the gypsiferous deposits are separated from 

 the red granites only by a small deposit of conglomerate and limestones. 

 In this series the Millstoue grit is represented by 200 feet in the Sydney 

 coal field, but in places it reaches 2,000 feet. The thickness of the 

 gypsum beds can not be easily ascertained. Their minimum thickness 

 seems to be about 8 feet. No organic remains were noticed in the 

 gypsum. 



In 1850 Richard Brown 3 described the section of the lower Coal 

 Measures of the Sydney coal field. 



The series is grouped under four divisions, viz : 



4. The Productive Coal Measures. 



3. A thick deposit of sandstone. 



2. Limestone and shales, occasionally containing beds of gypsum. 



1. A coarse conglomerate. 



The first division, '• probably representing the Old Red sandstone of 

 Europe," outcrops "from beneath the Carboniferous limestone, west 

 of Sydney Harbor." The second division, having a thickness of 820 



1 Brown, Richard: On a group of erect fossil trees in the Sydney coal field of Cape Breton. Quart. 

 Jour. Geol. Soe., vol.2, 1846, pp. 393-396. 



2 Brown, Richard: On the gypsiferous strata of Cape Dauphin, in the island of Cape Breton. Quart. 

 Jour. Geol. Soc, vol. 3, 1847, pp. 257-260. 



» Brown, Richard : Section of the lower Coai Measures of the Sydney coal field in the island of Cape 

 Breton. Quart. Jour., Geol. Soc. vol. 6, 1850, pp. 115-133. 





