Xne Ohio Journal of Science 



Vol. XX APRIL, 1920 No. 6 



MARL DEPOSITS IN OHIO AND THEIR 

 FOSSIL MOLLUSCA. 



V. Sterki. 



Reports have been published on the marls of several "states, 

 but practically nothing is known of such deposits in Ohio. 

 Some years ago collections were made, principally at two places, 

 and the following notes may be of interest. Specimens are in 

 the Carnegie Museum. Many species are also in the museum 

 of the Ohio State University, and in the collection of Dr. R. C. 

 Rush, at Hudson, Ohio. I am indebted to Dr. Frank C. Baker 

 for identifying Lymnasidas, and to Dr. Bryant Walker for notes 

 on several groups. 



TINKERS CREEK MARL. 



In July, 1911, Dr. R. C. Rush and I chanced to find a marl 

 deposit along Tinkers Creek, close to the line of Summit and 

 Portage Counties, south of the station Moran of the Wheeling 

 & Lake Erie Railroad. This place is about one thousand feet 

 above sea level and somewhat over four hundred feet above 

 the level of Lake Erie, within the drainage of the latter (Cuy- 

 ahoga River). Recent dredging of the creek had cut through 

 the marl for about five or six feet, and there was thus an excellent 

 opportunity for collecting. At one place, close to a hill, the marl 

 was partly overlaid with one to several feet of sand and gravel, 

 apparently "glacial drift." How extended the bed is, how deep, 

 or thick, and how much covered, or uncovered at other places, 

 is not yet ascertained. Generally the marl is pure, white, or 

 whitish, but locally somewhat mixed with muck or peat. It is 

 very rich in fossils, and, being soft and fine grained, it could be 

 washed out with a burlap net. Thousands of shells were obtained 

 and others were picked up from the material removed by the 

 dredge. The shells were generally clean and in fair condition, 

 except that the larger and thin shells were mostly broken. AH 



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