J. W. Dawson

On Fossil Plants from the Devonian Rocks of Canada

In 1843–44, Sir W. E. Logan ascertained, and published in his Report* for the latter year, the occurrence of a series of beds of Devonian age in the Peninsula of Gaspé, Lower Canada, containing fossil plants, apparently of terrestrial origin, and some of them evidently in situ. Nothing was done toward the precise determination and description of these remains until 1856, when Sir William kindly permitted the writer of this paper to examine his collection, and to describe before the American Association for the Advancement of Science the most interesting specimen contained in it—a fossil trunk exhibiting a very remarkable and previously undescribed coniferous structure†. The other specimens in the collection were so fragmentary or obscure, that it was not deemed expedient to attempt their description before studying them (as all fossil plants should, when practicable, be studied) in the rocks in which they occur. With this view I visited Gaspé in the past summer, and examined the localities indicated on the plans and sections of the Geological Survey. The facts and specimens thus obtained will probably be fully described and illustrated in one of the forthcoming Decades of Canadian Fossils; and in the meantime I propose to notice some of the species observed, which appear to be of especial interest in the present state of our general knowledge of the Devonian flora. Before proceeding to these descriptions, it may be necessary to state that the deposit in which the fossils occur consists of sandstone and shale, of various colours

On the Newer Coal Formation of the Eastern Part of Nova Scotia

In some notes communicated last year to the Geological Society, I stated the results of observations on the gypsiferous formation of Nova Scotia, tending to confirm the views of Mr. Lyell respecting the age of that series of rocks. In introducing those notes, it was stated that the carboniferous strata of this province may be included in three groups; first, the gypsiferous or mountain limestone formation; secondly, the older coal formation; and thirdly, the newer coal formation: of these the two former have almost exclusively attracted the attention of geologists, the latter having been in a great measure neglected. In connection with the Pictou coal field, however, and probably also in other parts of this and the neighbouring colonies, the newer coal formation is an extensively distributed deposit, often attaining considerable thickness, and, though not containing valuable beds of coal, ironstone, or gypsum, yet so associated with the rocks including these minerals, that a knowledge of its structure and relations is essential to their satisfactory investigation. In a palæontological point of view also it possesses considerable interest; as its fossils show the continuance of the coal flora during the deposition of a series of red sandstones newer than the great coal measures; and also the co-existence of that flora with terrestrial vertebrated animals.

On the Colouring Matter of Red Sandstones and of Greyish and White Beds associated with them

The appearance at certain points of the series of stratified deposits of red sandstones and other rocks coloured by the peroxide of iron, in regions where the older formations contain comparatively few red beds, is a fact observed in many countries; and in some cases these red deposits are associated with rocks of more neutral tints, whose colours appear to be due to chemical changes which have affected portions of the red sediment. These phænomena, though often noticed, scarcely seem to be thoroughly understood either in reference to their causes or to the inferences which may be drawn from them. In the present paper I propose to state some facts in the geology of Nova Scotia which appear to be connected with the first appearance of red strata in that country, and which may perhaps admit of a more general application; and also to notice some changes now taking place in recent sedimentary deposits, which may explain the occurrence of occasional grey, greenish and white beds in formations whose prevailing colour is red. In Nova Scotia, red conglomerates, sandstones and clays predominate for the first time in the lower part of the carboniferous system ; and it is to this lower carboniferous series chiefly that the following remarks are intended to apply, though red beds continue to prevail in the newer carboniferous deposits and also in an overlying formation of red sandstone. The red colouring matter, which is the peroxide of iron, is in a very fine state of division

Notices of some Fossils found in the Coal Formation of Nova Scotia

Ichnolites.—The coal-formation of Nova Scotia has already yielded ichnolites of three species, specimens of which, all unfortunately very imperfect, have been presented to the Geological Societby Mr. Logan and the writer of the present paper ~. Desiring toadd to the value of this discovery, I spent several days of last summer in a careful re-examination of the red sandstones at Tatmagouche, which had formerly afforded these fossils, and in explorinsome other localities in which beds of the same age appear. The results of these examinations are, first, the discovery of a few additional footmarks of one of the species of which specimens were sent last winter to the Geological Society. These new specimens are not however more distinctly marked than those formerly found at the same place. Secondly, the discovery, in a bed of coarse reddish shale immediately overlying the bed containing ichnolites, of some coprolitic bodies, probably of common origin with the footsteps. One of these coprolites, on analysis, was found to consist chiefly of carbonate of lime and argillaceous matter, with a considerable proportion of phosphate of lime, and traces of chlorine and organic matter. The figure of a well-marked specimen is given in the accompanying Plate, fig. 1. Thirdly, a confirmation of my previous belief of the carboniferous dute of these beds with footmarks, by finding in them impressions of a species of Neuropteris common in our coal-formation, and fragments of Sternbergia and of a lycopodiaceous plant found in carboniferous beds, in various other parts of this

On the Lower Carboniferous Rocks, or Gypsiferous Formation of Nova Scotia

The coal formation of the eastern part of Nova Scotia consists of a great thickness of sandstones, shales, and conglomerates, of various reddish and grey colours, the former being most prevalent. The lower part of the series is distinguished by the presence of limestones with marine shells and gypsum. Its central portion is characterised by a greater prevalence of grey and dark colours, and by containing an abundance of vegetable fossils and beds of bituminous coal. The upper portion of these productive coal measures appears to pass into a thick deposit of reddish sandstones and shales, containing few fossils, either animal or vegetable. To examine the structure and relations of the lower, or gypsiferous part of this series, is the object of the present paper: it will, however, be proper in the first place to notice the general disposition of the rocks of the Carboniferous system, in the region more particularly observed, which extends along the shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, from Tatmagouche to Antigonish Harbour.

Moebius on Eozoon canadense.

Eozoon Ganadense has, since the first announcement of its discover.Y by Logan in 1859, attracted much attention, and has been very thoroughly investigated and discussed, and at present its organic character is generally admitted. Still its claims are ever and anon disputed, and as fast as one opponent is disposed of, another appears. This is in great part due to the fact that so few scientific men are in a position fully to appreciate the evidence respecting it. Geologists and mineralogists look upon it with suspicion, partly on account of the great age and crystalline structure of the rocks in which it OCCUIS, partly because it is associated with the protean and disputed mineral Serpentine, vvhich some regard as eruptive, some as metamorphic, some as pseudomorphic, while few have had enough experience to enable them to understand the difference between those serpentines which occur in limestones, and in such relations as to prove their contemporaneous deposition, and those which may have resulted from the hydration of olivine or

Address of J. W. Dawson

OF the leaders iln Natural Science, the gtuides and teachers of some of tis now becoming grayn , ywhlo have in the past year been stricken by death fromi the roll of workers lhere, and have entered into the unseen world, two rise before ine with special vividness on the present occasion :-Lyell, our greatest geological thinker-, the classifier of the Tertiary rocks, the summer uip of the evidence on the antiquity of mail; but above all the founder of that school of geology which explains the past changes of our globe by those at present iii progress and Loogan, the careful an(l acute stratioraphist, the explorer and established of the Laurentian system, and the first to announce the presence of fossil emains in those most ancient rocks. What these men did and what dying they left undone, alike invite us to the consideration of the present standpoint of Geological science, the results it lhas achiieved and the objects yet to be attained ; aud I propose accordingly to select a small portion of this vast field and to offer to you a fewv thouholts in relation to it, rather desultorv and suggestive however, than in any respect flnal. I shall therefore ask your attention for a short time to the question - 1 What dlo we klnow of the origin and history of life on our planet? This great question, confessedly accompanied Nvith many clifficul-