This notebook is absent from Lyell's original run of 266 Scientific notebooks. Through the work of Leonard G. Wilson, copies have been identified, and used to create this catalogue entry.

This notebook starts 23 August 1852, when Lyell is two and a half days away from Liverpool, en route to Nova Scotia for his third trip to North America. He lands in Nova Scotia on August 31st. This notebook includes notes taken about scientific articles, the extinction of species, and observations made in Nova Scotia. There is a detailed description and many sketches of the geology of Joggins Cliff. From page 74 onwards, Lyell describes the coal layers or strata by assigning a number, and this documentation is retained throughout. Section headings used by Lyell feature in quotation marks [“ ”]. This notebook is written in ink and pencil and does not include an index, so the contents have been summarized. Dates listed in the notebook have been inserted at the beginning of the appropriate section.

Content warning: Lyell uses his Scientific Notebooks to gather evidence, based on both his own observation, by reviewing other people's works, by correspondence, asking questions and analyses. This summary reflects language that is historical, discriminatory and may cause offence.

p. 1, 3 Notes from the July 1852 edition of Silliman’s journal.
p. 2 Journal entry
p. 3 “Electric telegraph”, English monopolies buy American patents to suppress them
p. 4 “Mem[oranda]”
p. 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 “Extinction of species” Lyell discusses the topic such as: “the two principle theories” (p. 4), “last surviving individuals diversified by climate”, “man & the domesticated animals… kill their 1000nds” (p. 6), “‘isothermal lines” of climate (p. 8), “It is not by catastrophes, deluges, volcanic eruptions, sudden engulfments of land that species are destroyed” (p. 12).
p. 12, 14 “Temple of Serapis” Lyell comments that submerged roads indicate more to the area than the temple. He also discusses other changes to the area over time.
p. 14, 16 Notes taken while reading Westminster Review
p. 16 “Stratigraphical Series”, “Facies of fauna & flora”, “Man & Progress”
August 31, 1852 - Date of landing in Nova Scotia, Canada
p. 17, 19 Discussion of extinction of species
p. 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 “Extinction”
Likely a draft for his upcoming Lowell Lecture in Boston (see page 22)
p, 28, 29, 30 “Isothermals”
Discussion on how isothermal lines might shift and affect changes in fauna
p. 30 Comments on a stigmaria fossil that Mr. Dawson found
p. 31 Notes on birch bark and people he is meeting in Nova Scotia
p. 32, 34, 36, 38 Field notes from Nova Scotia, mostly geological
p. 40 Geology, plants, electric telegraph
p. 42 Specimens put in boxes, religious observations
p. 44 Convention of school teachers, “Electric Telegraph”, ice in rivers
September 2, 1852
p. 46 “Cobequid Hills erratics”, “Electric Telegraph”, “Truro Sept 2”
p. 48 Geology
p. 50 New Red formation, trees, “Cobequid Hill”, “Ship builds”
p. 52 “Cobequid”, “Iron Mine”, “Telegraph”
p. 54 “Population of Nova Scotia”, “Spring Hill”
p. 56 “Cumberland”, “River Philip”, “Denudation of Cobequid”
p. 58 “Aralia hispida”, “Viburnum lentago”, “Rhodora”, fossil plants, Morse Code taught to boys
September 3, 1852
p. 60 “View from the Lycester Ridge”, “Ledum”, “Negros in Halifax”, “View from ridge”
p. 62, 64 “Submerged Forest”
p. 66 Trees, “Cape Breton”, “Gaulthera hispidula”, “Great Fire”
p. 68 “Erratics”, “Herbert River”
p. 68-116 The remainder of this notebook is a description of the geology of the Joggins shore. Topic by pages are listed below.
p. 68, 70, 72, “Joggins shore section”
p. 74, 76 Description of Coal layers [which Lyell] Numbers 1 and 2
p. 78 Description of Coal Numbers 3, 4, 5, and 6
p. 80 Description of Coal Numbers 7, 8, 9 and 10
p. 82 Description of Coal Numbers 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14
Sept 5th 1852
p. 84 “Holes on Coal”, “Underclay”
p. 86 Description of Coal Number 15
p. 88 Description of Coal Number 16
p. 90 Description of Coal Number 17 and Stump 1 and 2
p. 92 Description of Coal Number 18, “Fire clays”
p. 94, 96 Description of Coal Number 19 (Sections A, B, C, D, and E)
p. 96 Description of Coal Number 20 (Sections A, B, and C)
p. 98 Description of Coal Numbers 20 (Sections C and D), 21 and 22
p. 100 Description of Coal Number 23 (Sections A, B, C, D)
p. 102 Description of Coal Numbers 23 (Section E), 24, and 25 (Sections A, B, C, D, E, and F)
p. 104 Description of Coal Number 25 (Sections G and H)
[Note: Image 55 of pages 104-105 has a hand in the photo. Image 54 is the same pages without the hand.]
p. 106 Description of Coal Number 25 (Sections I and J)
p. 108, 110 “Underclays theoretical”
p. 110 “Iron Stones”, “Upright trees”
p. 112 “Stigmarie”
p. 114 Discussion of the burial process for calamites
p. 116 Sketches
p. 118 blank Index page