the Horton-Windsor District, N. S. 163 



like dimension. Biotite mica, little altered, is commonly 

 present in flakes up to 3 mm., and may be in excess of 

 muscovite. The binding material is largely kaolinite 

 which renders the arkose friable. Slate particles are of 

 minor importance. The upper strata of the formation 

 are dominantly pnrple-red argillo-arenaceous shale with 

 occasional thin zones of greenish micaceous shale or 

 slate-grey argillaceous Estlieria-'besiYmg shales. These 

 dark shales yield likewise a few plant remains and rare 

 specimens of Leaia. The red shales are commonly non- 

 laminated, weather in a hackly manner, and frequently 

 contain small irregular concretionary calcareous nodules. 



The phenomena of current ripples and cross-bedding 

 are as widespread in the Cheverie as in the Hor- 

 ton. Channeling of the grit beds into underlying 

 shales is a marked feature, and frequently large torn 

 angular remnants of shale are included in the arkose. 

 Sun-cracking has been observed in several instances, 

 although the exposures are unsuitable for observa- 

 tions of this nature. Striking features of this crack- 

 ing are the sandy nature of the beds in which it occurs, 

 the relatively great width of the fissures, the coarse 

 infilling, and the fact that the cracked beds have traces of 

 rootlets in situ and represent old soils. 



Biologically the features presented are a repetition of 

 those of the Horton formation, but are here in a more 

 restricted development consequent to a more advanced 

 degree of subaerial exposure. Rootlets in situ are com- 

 mon throughout all the argillo-arenaceous non-laminated 

 shales, notwithstanding the fact that the strata are now 

 dominantly red and practically devoid of other organic 

 remains. The traces of rootlets are, however, less fre- 

 quent than in the Horton formation, and are most com- 

 monly represented by slight color distinctions, with traces 

 of carbon of rare occurrence. At times the oxidation of 

 the carbon took place at the expense of oxygen combined 

 with the iron, giving rise to grey contact zones. Upright 

 stems were observed in one instance in a purple-red shale 

 in which thirty-three stems were counted in a plot 29 X 

 146 feet. The drift flora is practically restricted to occa- 

 sional thin seams of dark shale, but the flora so far 

 gathered is of too fragmentary a nature for reliable 

 specific identification. It appears to be more varied than 

 that of the Horton, with sphenopterid types dominant. 



