Gold-hearing Mctaiiiorphic Scries. — IVoodiitan. 367 
Names previously applied to series and subdivisions. — The 
series has been known as ca unit for sixty-eight years; its two 
great divisions have been recognized for more than forty years ; 
and yet, in the many geological references to the country, in- 
cluding detailed as well as general papers, neither the series 
nor its subdivisions have until recently received even tentative 
definite names. Jackson and Alger ('28-'29) included such of 
the territory as was then known in their "transition clay slate." 
Gesner ('36) called it "primary district," because granite ap- 
parently predominated, and included the "transition clay slate" 
in this. Dawson ('50) wrote of it as the "granitic group"; in 
'55 changed this to "granitic metamorphic series," and later 
('68) to "Atlantic coast metamorphic series." Finally Ami 
( :oo) remarks that these rocks "have been designated as the 
'Atlantic Coa^st series' or Acadian 'group' or 'division.' " Other 
names have been applied from time to time, all alike in being 
descriptive. In the same tenor have been most of the names 
given to the subdivisions. In '63 Campbell called the lower 
the "quartzite group," and the upper the "lower clay slate 
group." In '87 Faribault referred to the former as the "fer- 
ruginous slate group." In '98 Bailey made for the western end 
of the province three formations, the lowest the "quartzite di- 
vision," the middle the "banded argillite division," the highest 
the "black slate division." In :oo Ami wrote "To the 'quartz- 
ite group' . . . the designation Guysboroiigh formation appears 
appropriate, whilst the term Halifax formation is proposed for 
the 'slate group' of the gold-bearing series" (p. 195). I be- 
lieve these have not, however, been employed in any later refer- 
ences to the series, by any author. 
The descriptive names used before the publication of Dr. 
Ami's paper are all appropriate as such ; but it is better geo- 
logical usage to give series and subdivisions distinct names in- 
applicable to other strata. Dr. Ami recognized this, in the 
article above quoted ; and the following, which also- explains 
the status of the names used by him, illustrates the point. "In 
dealing with the classification of the various formations in Can- 
ada . . . the writer has been compelled to affix provisional forma- 
tional names to various series of sedimentary rocks which have 
not as yet received any designation. He deems it, however, a 
case of dire necessity in this case, inasmuch as it is impossible 
