

williams.] DAWSON, ROBB. 249 



Dr. Dawson, 1 after giving various views that have been held in regard 

 to the rocks of Prince Edward Island, in 1874 declined to separate the 

 "Red beds" of the lower series from the "newer coal formation." 

 Prof. Geinitz, however, thinks that the fossils show "a decidedly Per- 

 mian aspect." The author, after a more extended examination of the 

 rocks of East Eiver of Pictou, and in sections. west of Caribou Har- 

 bor, concludes that u the beds which overlie the coal field of Pictou 

 and extend into Prince Edward Island, and which constitute the upper 

 part of the upper coal formation, have such strong points of resem- 

 blance to the lower part of the European Permian that they may be 

 called "Permo-Carboniferous." 



In 1876 Mr. Charles Robb reported upon the area recently explored 

 by him, lying along the Atlantic coast and including Cow Bay, Glace 

 Bay, Sydney Harbor, and Bras d'Or basins. The rocks are referred to 

 the following formations : 



I. Carboniferous limestone. 

 II. Millstone grit. 

 III. Coal Measures. 



The section of Sydney Harbor extending from South Bar to Sydney 

 has a total thickness of 879 feet 7 inches, and is a continuation of the 

 "Millstone grit series" from Victoria Mines to South Bar, Sydney 

 Harbor, having a total thickness for the Millstone grit of 3,275 feet. 

 The rocks consist mainly of fine and coarse sandstones, marls, and lime- 

 stones, micaceous sandstones, and bituminous calcareous limestones, 

 containing Sigillaria, Lepidodendron, fish scales, and Naiadites. 



The " Lower Carboniferous rock" from Point Edward, Sydney Harbor, 

 to Morrison Brook, consisting of yellow micaceous sandstones, red and 

 green marls, calcareo-bituminous shales, and thin arenaceous lime- 

 stones, has a total thickness of 4,591 feet 10 inches. Sigillaria and 

 Lepidodendronwere found in the shales, while Brachiopods and Encrinites 

 appeared in the bluish gray limestones. 



The section of " Millstone grit" from South Head to Mira Bay has a 

 total thickness of 5,706 feet 8 inches. The rocks are of the same char- 

 acter as in the section given above. The Millstone grit of North Head, 

 Cow Bay, is 537 feet 7 inches in thickness. Plant remains occur in the 

 shales, mainly Cordaites, Aster opliyllites, Neuropteris, Stigmaria. 



The section of Millstone grit from Stubbart Point to Limestone Creek 

 has a total thickness of 4,228 feet 5 inches. The rocks have the same 

 physical characters, except that the coarse conglomerates are more fer- 

 ruginous than in other sections. Coal seams were noted in the North 

 Head section, varying from a few inches to 8 feet in thickness; the 

 latter includes 18 inches of superior coal. The Millstone grit between 

 Lorway and Sydney Harbor, consisting of argillaceous sandstones, 

 shales, and thin coal seams, has a thickness of 2,619 feet 2 inches. 



•Dawson, J. W. : On the Upper Coal Formation of Eastern Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island 

 in its relation to tbo Permian. Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc, vol. 30, pp. 209-219 ; Canadian Nat., vol. 7, 1874, 

 new ser., pp. 303, 304. 



