NATURAL HISTORY AND PHYSIOGRAPHY OP NpW BRUNSWICK. 21 
irregular in its formation. I believe traces can be seen of an- 
old channel across the narrowest part of the island in line with 
Bay du Vin Harbor and Black River. 
The vegetation of Fox Island differs from that of Portage 
Island mainly in the greater proportion, amounting almost to 
a pure growth, of Prince’s Pine in its woods, and in the greater 
irregularity of distribution of these woods, which are as indeter- 
minate as the beach lines. In places, especially towards the 
southwest of the island, lie great open carpeted spaces which 
extend off through glades and vistas, with scattered perfect 
trees, strongly suggestive of a baronial park. The whole presents 
from a distance a striking scenic attractiveness unfortunately 
not increased by a closer acquaintance. 
Both Portage and Fox Islands, therefore, appear to have been 
formed as true beach-plains against neighboring upland, precisely 
as Grande Plaine is forming to-day. Their separation from the 
upland is due to subsidence of the land admitting the sea to flow 
over their oldest and, therefore, lowest parts, while their outer 
parts have been more or less eroded by the advancing ocean. 
The question now arises, against what land did they form? Of 
course it may have been against the present neighboring upland 
shores, but the somewhat deep channels intervening seem against 
this. Considering, however, the probable physiographic evolution 
of this region, a subject earlier discussed (Note 93), it seems 
likely that originally three rivers flowed through the present 
Miramichi Bay, (a) the main Miramichi ( Miramichian ) following 
near the Neguac Coast and out near the Blacklands (whose peat 
was perhaps formed in its valley), (b) the Napan ( Napanian ) 
which went out where now is the south end of Portage Island, 
and (c) the Black River (M atquantian) which went through the 
deep Bay du Vin Harbor and out across the middle of Fox Island. 
Low ridges must originally have existed between these valleys, 
and these ridges, I take it, as they were carried to sea level by 
the general subsidence (aided perhaps by the synclinal folding 
which has so powerfully influenced this valley), constituted 
nuclei about which formed the first of these sand plains, which, 
however, have suffered many changes since their first formation. 
