260 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [April 14, 



granite pebbles are much larger than the others, and also more 

 angular, showing that although this series of beds were ultimately 

 raised to their present position by the upheaval of the granite ridge, 

 there must have existed at the time of their formation hills of 

 similar granite at no great distance. 



The thickness of the bed of gypsum No. 10 cannot be very clearly 

 ascertained, as it lies between beds of soft green and blue marl ; its 

 minimum thickness must be 8 feet, since large masses of gypsum 

 from 6 to 8 feet square have fallen from the cliff. This is probably 

 the highest bed of gypsum in the formation ; the lower beds asso- 

 ciated with limestones, marls and shales, reposing upon the old con- 

 glomerate (6), being developed in great thickness at St. Ann's, on 

 the opposite slope of the granitic nucleus, as shown in the following 

 section : — 



Cape 

 p Dauphin. 



The conglomerate (/) in this and the preceding section, which 

 caps the protruding granitic rocks at Cape Dauphin, and abuts 

 against the outcropping purple and brown marls No. 1, is evidently 

 of more modern date than the conglomerate (6) ; being, so far as I 

 could ascertain, composed of angular and half-worn fragments of hard 

 brown shale, red granite and quartz rock, cemented imperfectly by 

 ferruginous sand ; it also dips to the north-east at an angle of 1 0°, 

 whilst the limestone and shales dip S. 80° E. at an angle of 58°. 

 I must add, however, that a heavy surf rolHng in upon the narrow 

 beach, and occasionally dashing its spray up against the chff of con- 

 glomerate, prevented me from examining this part of the section so 

 carefully as I could have desired. 



The old conglomerate (5), composed of large rounded pebbles of 

 flinty slate, clay-slate, quartz rock, and masses of a still older con- 

 glomerate, is found in five cases out of six underlying the gypsiferous 

 strata of Cape Breton wherever continuous sections can be obtained. 



In conclusion I may observe, that I have never been able to find 

 any traces of organic remains in the gypsum in this neighbourhood, 

 but Professor Johnson of Philadelphia informed me that he found 

 fossil shells in thin bands of gypsum alternating with limestones at 

 Plaister Cove in the Gut of Canso, about three months ago. 



April 14, 1847. 



Henry F. Hallam, Esq., and Thomas Ottrey Rayner, M.D., were 

 elected Fellows of the Society. 



The following communications were then read : — 



