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forming the upper strata gives that peculiar redness to the . soil which always attracts the attention of visitors. Histori- cally, the rock structure belongs largely to the Permian and Triassic formations—the former occupying Prince County, the eastern half of Queen’s and the greater part of King‘s County; and the latter covering the northwestern half of Queen’s, including the range of hills before mentioned, and running eastward as far as Wiltshire and Rustico, and some areas in King’s County. The chief modern deposits. are beds of peat, dunes of drifted sands, alluvial clays, and “mussel mud” or beds of oyster and mussel shells occurring in the creeks and bays. In several parts of the Island—particularly in Prince County—are numerous granite and Laurentian rocks—in some cases many miles from shore. These must have been derived from Nova Scotia and Labrador or New- foundland, and were evidently cast there by the ice in some by-gone age. There are practically no minerals*neither gold (with the exception of a very minute quantity discovered in 1885 on the western shore of the Island, occurring in connec- tion with black sand), gypsum nor coal having yet been found. If there be coal, it is probably at too great a depth to be immediately available.

Peat.— Peat-bogs occur in many parts of the Island, but with the exception of three, they are usually of small extent and depth. The three turbaries referred to are: Lennox Island, Richmond Bay, where there are 250,000 square yards, the Squirrel Creek deposit near Richmond Bay, of 2,420,000 square yards, and the Black Bank Bog, Cascumpec, area 2,816,000 square yards. In view of the coming importance of peat as fuel, the estimated number of tons contained in these turbaries, and value, may be interesting :

*Lennox Island Bog, 20,200 tons, value at $4 . . $ 80,800.00 Squirrel Creek Bog, 500,000 “ “ “ . . 2,000,000.00 Black Bank Bog, 1,777,248 ” “ “ .. 7,108,992.00

Total .. .. 2,297,448 “ “ “ .. $9,189,792.00

* Dawson's Geological Report on Prince Edward Island, 1871.