WAixott.] NEW BRUNSWICK AND CAPE BRETON. 63 



In 18G9 Messrs. Matthew and Bailey l described in a general manner 

 the rocks referred to the Lower Silurian and stated that this series in- 

 eludes about 150 feet of slates (holding Paradoxides, Conocephalites, 

 Agnostus, and other trilobites, besides several genera of Brachiopods), 

 and au overlying mass, measuring not less than 2,000 feet, of flags and 

 slates containing Lingulse, worm burrows, etc. Under the caption of 

 44 Lower Silurian," the same writers, three years later, 2 include the St. 

 John or Acadian group. A brief historical sketch is given, and a list of 

 fossils that have been described from the formation, with a statement 

 that the apparent thickness of the whole formation, as measured in the 

 city of St. John, is about 4,500 feet. Owing to the disturbed condition of 

 the beds the actual thickness may be much less. If repetitions occur, 

 the aggregate thickness of the series, exclusive of the lower red beds — 

 which have been called Upper Coldbrook — will not much exceed 2,000 

 feet. 3 This general description is followed by a detailed one, and a 

 copy of Mr. Matthew's section at the city of St. John. 4 The St. John 

 group is then described as found in the Kennebecasis Valley, in north- 

 ern King's County; in Wickham, Queen's County; in Nerepis Valley, 

 and in Charlotte County. 



In the supplement to the second edition of Acadian Geology, Dr. J. 

 W. Dawson 5 introduces the term " Cambrian" and includes under it the 

 Acadian series of St. John and also the great Atlantic coast series of 

 Nova Scotia. Nothing is added in the way of descriptive details to 

 those given in the edition of 1868. 



During the survey of the island of Cape Breton, Mr. Hugh Fletcher 

 discovered near Marion Bridge, on the banks of the Mira Biver, a series 

 of light gray, slaty, fine-grained, feldspathic sandstones, associated 

 with red a»d green mottled sandstone in which he found numerous 

 specimens of Obolella. He points out the lithologic resemblance of 

 these rocks to the Primordial rocks found by Mr. Alexander Murray in 

 the southeastern part of Newfoundland and to those on the Strait of 

 Belle Isle examined by Mr. Bichardson. 6 He also describes a series of 

 purple, red, and green slates, sandstones, and limestones, that he refers 

 to the Lower Silurian. 7 A detailed section of the rocks is given as they 

 occur along St. Andrew Channel. In one of the greenish and blue 

 papery slates he found impressions of an Obolella, with the head and 

 tail of a trilobite, recognized by Mr. Billings as of Primordial or Quebec 



'Remarks on the age and relations of the metamorphic rocks of New Brunswick and Maine. Am. 

 Assoc, Proc, vol. 18, 1869, pp. 182, 183. Can. Nat., new ser., vol. 4, 18G9, pp. 326-328. 



2 Preliminary report on the geology of southern New Brunswick. Geol. Surv. Canada, Rep. of Prog., 

 1870-'71, 1872, p. 134. 



3 Op.cit., p. 135. 



4 Op.cit., pp. 136,137. 



6 Supplement to the second edition of Acadian Geology, containing additional facts as to the geolog- 

 ical structure, fossil remains, and mineral resources of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince, 

 Edward Island, London, 1878, p. 81. 



6 Report of explorations and surveys in Cape Breton, Nova Swtia. Geol. Surv. Can., Rep. Prog. 

 1875-76, 1877, p. 393, 



"Op-cit-.p. 388. 



