426 Proceedings of the British Association. 



i. The deposits of New Jersey differ from those of the southern 

 states, in being chiefly arenaceous, and in containing an immense 

 quantity of the pure chloritic mineral called green sand. 



2. The organic remains hitherto discovered are nearly all, with 

 the exception of one or two species, peculiar to this continent. 



8. The existence of great quantities of lignite, of the remains of 

 scolopax a shore bird, and the position of these beds in New Jer- 

 sey contiguous to the primary boundary or ancient coast, all indi- 

 cate that these beds were deposited in a comparatively shallow sea, 

 analogous in position to the present extensive line of soundings 

 which skirts the coast. The obvious shallowness of the portion of 

 the secondary ocean where these beds were formed, may perhaps 

 help to explain the remarkable discordance alluded to between the 

 American and European marine species of this period. 



4. The calcareous masses of Alabama, at least the upper beds, are 

 possibly different in age from the marls and arenaceous beds of New 

 Jersey. 



5. The marl formation of New Jersey is perhaps most nearly re- 

 presented by the European green sands. The limestone deposits 

 of the south, on the other hand, resemble more the upper members 

 of the cretaceous group, for example, the formation of the plateau 

 of Maestricht. 



6. Thus far there is no evidence of the existence of true chalk in 

 North America. Genuine flints have not yet been found in any bed. 



7. Volcanic forces, during this period, seem to have been nearly 

 dormant, which may perhaps assist in accounting for the absence of 

 the chalk. 



8. The want of coincidence both in organic remains and mineral 

 character, between these beds and the cretaceous group of Europe ; 

 the difiiculty of deciding their identity at present, from the want of 

 a sufficient knowledge of the structure and superposition of our for- 

 mations ; and above all, the importance of pursuing our geology 

 free from the shackles of a nomenclature originally adapted to 

 another continent, render it desirable that we reject the terms in 

 use, and appropriate to this group of formations a name which 

 shall be independent of old associations, and yet express their posi- 

 tion in the geological series. 



Mr Lyell expressed the high opinion he entertained of the la- 

 bours and theoretical views of Professor Rogers. As it appears 

 that a very small number of the tertiary fossils of North America 

 agree specifically with those of Europe, Mr Lyell coincides with 

 the author in thinking, that the only approximation that can at 



