374 



southwest of St. John where the Mispeck beds rest directly 

 on Pre-Cambrian strata. In reference to this locaHty, 

 Dr. Matthew states that since the Mispeck conglomerate 

 there "contains rolled fragments of Silurian corals, the 

 whole series below it to the horizon of these corals must 

 have been denuded before or during its (the Mispeck) 

 formation." The relations thus described may however, 

 be explained as due to overlap and not as indicating the 

 existence of an unconformity between the Mispeck and 

 Little River group.* 



The existence or non-existence of an unconformity 

 between the Little River group and overlying Mispeck is an 

 important point in the discussion of the age of the Little 

 River measures to which belong the strata of the Fern 

 Ledges. If an unconformity exists, it forms a link in the 

 chain of stratigraphical evidence tending to place the 

 horizon of the Little River group below the Carboniferous. 



The Red Head formationf consists chiefly of coarse, 

 red conglomerate and sandstone. These measures occur 

 over a considerable area situated towards the centre of the 

 synclinal basin of Little river and Mispeck strata exposed 

 along the shore of Courtenay bay. The measures of the 

 Red Head formation are not exposed in actual contact with 

 the Mispeck beds. The relative areal distribution of the 

 two series of strata, the marked difference in the direction 

 of dip of the two formations, and the presence in the Red 

 Head conglomerates of pebbles of sandstone and shale 

 closely resembling rocks of the Mispeck formation, are 

 all factors indicating that the Red Head beds are uncon- 

 formably above the Mispeck measures. The physical 

 characters of the strata of the Red Head formation also 

 indicate that these measures are younger than the neigh- 

 bouring beds of the Little River and Mispeck formations. 

 The conglomerates and sandstones of the Red Head for- 

 mation are only loosely cemented whereas the Mispeck and 

 Little River beds, especially those of the latter formation, 

 are more compact and in places at least, have suffered a 

 slight amount of shearing not found to have affected the 

 Red Head beds. It is remotely possible, however, that 

 the Red Head formation does not overlie the Mispeck 

 for along the eastern side of the area of Red Head beds. 



*On the map of St. John and vicinity, the southern part of area represented 

 as being occupied by Little River group is doubtless underlain by Mispeck strata. 



tOn the map of St. John and vicinity, the areas occupied by the Red Head forma- 

 tion are mapped as ' Carboniferous Conglomerate. ' 



