167 



most generally applied to the series for a number of years 

 the weight of evidence seems to point to an earlier origin, 

 probably Pre-Cambrian. Certain markings or forms 

 have been discovered from time to time and by some stud- 

 ents have been thought to indicate an organic origin but 

 these have in many cases turned out to be nothing more 

 than concretions, or their organic origin has been disputed, 

 and none have been characteristic enough to be of any 

 determinating values. Of the contiguous formations, the 

 oldest seems to be a series of fossiliferous rocks in Annap- 

 olis and Digby counties ascribed to the Silurian or early 

 Devonian. In determining the age of the Goldbearing 

 series therefore, lithological resemblances and analogies 

 with distant formations have had to be resorted to, but, 

 although suggestive, they can hardly be regarded as abso- 

 lutely determinative. 



Dawson [2] and Hind first considered the series as prob- 

 ably Ordovician. Later Selwyn pointed to their resem- 

 blance to the Lower Cambrian and Lingula flag series of 

 North Wales, and still later, Dawson [2] believed the series 

 to be Cambrian. Different authors have pointed out 

 the resemblance existing between the Goldbearing series 

 of Nova Scotia and the Pre-Cambrian slates and quart- 

 zites of the Avalon peninsula of Newfoundland. Murray 

 as early as 1 868 advanced the opinion that the resemblance 

 "is too striking and marked to be overlooked, and the 

 inference is that on further inquiry they will prove to be 

 of the same age." Walcott, Van Hise, and Matthew also 

 hold the same views. 



In a study of that area lying south of Wolfville and Kent- 

 ville, Kings county, Faribault (1908) has shown that, with 

 the exception of the Silurian strata of New Canaan, all 

 the rocks appear to be conformable and to belong to the 

 Goldbearing series, and to include the fawn slates in 

 which Dictyonema websteri was found at the same hor- 

 izon at different points. 



Thus the problem still remains to be solved; and, until 

 more conclusive evidence is obtained the series may be 

 regarded as most probably Pre-Cambrian. 



GRANITE INTRUSIVES. 



Granite is distributed widely throughout the series in the 

 form of batholiths, the largest of which extends from the 

 coast at Halifax westward in the form of a crescent, nearly 



