CHAPTER    IV. 
EASTERN  CANADA  AND  NEWFOUNDLAND. 
SECTION  I.   THE  EASTERN  TOWNSHIPS. 
LITERATURE. 
Murray,1  in  1847,  describes  the  metamorphic  rocks  of  the  Notre 
Dame  mountains.  The  more  important  varieties  are  slate  and  trap. 
It  is  not  certain  that  these  rocks  do  not  belong  to  the  fossiliferous  for- 
mation. 
Logan,2  in  1863,  describes  the  Quebec  group  at  length.  Metamor- 
phic rocks  of  various  kinds  are  mentioned,  but  these  are  all  regarded 
as  belonging  to  the  fossiliferous  series.  In  the  fossiliferous  formations 
east  of  the  Notre  Dame  mountains  are  veins  and  masses  of  intrusive 
granite. 
Selwyn,3  in  1879,  gives  observations  on  the  stratigraphy  of  the 
Quebec  group.  This  'group  is  divided  into  three  distinct  groups  of 
strata.  First,  the  lower  Silurian  group;  second,  the  volcanic  group, 
probably  lower  Cambrian;  and  third,  the  Crystalline  schist  group 
(Huronian?).  The  rocks  composing  group  three  are  chiefly  slaty  and 
schistose,  embracing  various  schists,  imperfect  gneisses,  micaceous 
dolomites,  and  magnesian  limestones.  The  upper  part  of  this  series 
emerges  from  beneath  the  upper  Silurian. 
Selwyn,4  in  1883,  finds  in  the  Stoke  mountains  an  igneous  belt  un- 
conformably  overlapped  and  covered  by  the  fossiliferous  beds  of  the 
Levis  formation  and  by  the  Siluro-Devonian  rocks;  but  between  these 
volcanics  and  the  more  schistose  rocks  of  the  central  axis,  by  which 
they  are  underlain,  no  unconformity  has  been  detected.  These  volcan- 
ics are  provisionally  classed  with  the  lower  series,  that  is,  pre-Cam- 
brian  and  probably  Upper  Huron ian.  In  the  Quebec  series  are  found 
important  masses  of  granite  which  are  intrusive  in  the  fossiliferous 
series.  The  stratified  rocks  in  contact  with  them  are  disturbed  and 
altered,  the  limestones  converted  into  graphitic  schists  or  crystalline 
marble,  and  the  argillites  into  mica-slates,  chiastolite  and  staurolite 
schists,  which  are  traversed  by  streaks  and  veins  (dikes?)  of  granite. 
These  granites  are  regarded  as  of  Silurian  or  Devonian  age.  The  alter- 
ation of  the  fossiliferous  beds  has  gone  so  far  as  to  suggest  a  resem- 
blance to  the  crystalline  rocks  which  have  been  referred  to  the  Lauren- 
tian  or  Huronian. 
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