DAWSON ON THE GEOLOGY OF NOVA SCOTIA. 29 



and these rocks are succeeded, farther up the river, by disturbed 

 sandstones and limestones, which I was unable to examine, but 

 which I believe to correspond with those of the East River. 



From these observations, in connection with those formerly 

 made by Mr. Logan and Mr. Lyell, it is apparent that the lowest 

 members of the Carboniferous series seen on the East River consist 

 of limestones, gypsum, and soft sandstones, above which are hard 

 reddish sandstones and shales, with limestone ; and lastly, red and 

 grey sandstone, shells, and conglomerate, with carboniferous plants, 

 and probably these beds pass into the productive coal measures. 



On the south side of the West River of Pictou, limestones, having 

 the same fossils with those found on the East River, are seen in 

 several places, and are associated with reddish sandstones, hard 

 grey shales, and white and purple sandstones. Farther westward, 

 near the Salmon River, there are sandstones, limestones, and 

 gypsum, identical in fossils and mineral character with those of the 

 East River, and like them connected with productive coal measures, 

 which they appear to underlie. Still farther westward, the gyp- 

 siferous formations of Onslow and the De Bert River probably 

 form a continuation of the Pictou lower carboniferous deposits, 

 being, like them, succeeded to the northward by the middle and 

 newer members of the coal formation. * 



Merigonish. 



Section III. 

 Merigonish to Malignant Cove, 20 miles. 



W. M'Cara's Brook. Arisaig. E. 



e. Coloured sandstones and shales, with occasional hands of ironstone and 

 concretionary limestone in the upper part — Catamites and other coal plants. 

 Coal ?. 



d. Limestone and conglomerate — fossil shells. 



c. Amygdaloid and conglomerate overlying sandstones and containing plants. 



b. Dark shales with thin beds of limestone, a little conglomerate, and reddish 

 grits — marine shells, Encrinites, Trilobites, §*c. 



a. Altered red sandstone and conglomerate with dark shales, beds of amyg- 

 daloid, and intruding masses of greenstone. 



Eastward of the East River, the band of carboniferous rocks 

 included between the shores of the gulf and the hills to the south- 

 ward, shows a series of beds, amounting to 10,000 or 12,000 feet in 

 thickness, and dipping to the north-west at an angle of 20 degrees. 

 The upper part of this section, beginning at the entrance of Meri- 



* The salt springs of the West River rise from lower carboniferous rocks, 

 those of Salmon River from the productive coal measures. In both instances 

 they rise from vertical strata on lines of fault. 



