CAEBONIFEROUS UNDIVIDED. 385 



minutely measured sections, which together with those of other systems are in the 

 report for 1886 generalized and accompanied by details of local sections and dis- 

 tribution.^^^ The latest general account of the Carboniferous of Pictou and Col- 

 chester counties, which appears to hold in its broader features for the region as a 

 whole, is contained in Fletcher's report for 1887-1891,^^® from which the following 

 notes are taken: 



Permian: 



Upper red sandstone and shale group, with, thin bands of limestone. ^ 



Middle gray sandstone and shale group, with small coal seams. 



New Glasgow conglomerate. 

 Carboniferous: 



Coal measures. 



Millstone grit. 



Carboniferous limestone. 



Carboniferous conglomerate. 

 Devonian : 



Upper red slate and sandstone group. Red rocks of Union, on the Truro & Pictou Railway. ["] 



Middle gray slate and sandstone group. Riversdale ["] and McKay Head rocks.[6] 



The lowest Carboniferous is described as a coarse basal conglomerate, which 

 contains pebbles of the underlying rocks from 1 inch to several inches in diameter 

 and which is interstratified with gray and red sandstone. The identification of 

 this formation in distinction to the middle Carboniferous "Millstone grit" is not 

 always certain. The deposit is not everywhere present, the Carboniferous lime- 

 stone overlapping upon older rocks in many places. 



The Carboniferous limestone is a formation "characterized by the occurrence 

 of gypsum, limestone, sandstones, marls, and other soft and friable rocks, appar- 

 ently everywhere unconformable upon all underlying formations." ^^^^ 



With reference to these two formations of the "Lower Carboniferous" and the 

 "Millstone grit" Ami ^^^ says in describing the section of the Knoydart (Devonian) 

 of McArras Brook, Antigonish County : 



To the north and west of this Devonian area are seen newer measures referable to three 

 distinct horizons of the Carboniferous system as developed in this portion of Nova Scotia. 

 These include — 



(a) The so-caUed "Carboniferous conglomerate" formation described in the above report." 

 This series is presumably equivalent to the Bonaventure formation of Gaspe, and is doubtfully 

 referred to it here. 



(b) The "Carboniferous limestone" series with its marls, sandstones, and marine limestones 

 and gypsum, designated (in part at least) by the writer as the Hopewell formation. 



(c) The so-caUed "Millstone grit" series, for the most part very flat-lying and undisturbed, 

 showing that the physical disturbances and agencies to which the Silurian and Devonian strata 

 have been subjected which have dislocated and tUted their strata had disappeared previous to 

 the time when these Carboniferous grits were laid down. The so-called "Millstone grit" series, 

 which is very doubtfuUy the equivalent of the true "MUlstone grit" of England, was designated 

 by the writer as the WestvUle formation, in order to separate it from the other formations in 

 the district. 



In 1899 Ami^^ presented a discussion of facts and opinions relating to the 

 classification of the Carboniferous of eastern Canada and included as " Eo-Carbon- 



" Middle ("arboniferous (Pottsville). — B. W. 



*True "Coal Measures" (Allegheny?), Stellarton formation of Pictou, etc. — B. W. 

 « Ann. Rept. Geol. Survey Canada for 1886, pp. 71p, 85p, and 124p; idem for 1890-91, p. 173p. 

 48011°— 12 25 



