222 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [MaY 22 



PRELIMINARY CONTRIBUTION TO OUR KNOWLEDGE 



OF THE CRETACEOUS FORMATION ON LONG 



ISLAND AND EASTWARD. 



[Plates V— VII.J 



BY ARTHUR HOLLICK. 



The assumption that cretaceous strata were to be found 

 beneath a part of Staten Island and practically the whole 

 of Long Island, excej^t the small archjiean area at its western 

 end, has been recognized as probable by nearly every geologist 

 who has studied the region. The trend of the cretaceous strata 

 in New Jersey and their stratigraphic relations to the crystal- 

 line and other rocks along their border, justified the assumption 

 that the same conditions prevailed northeastward, although 

 there much modified by the forces which acted upon them 

 during the quaternary age. The lithological characters were 

 also such that the similarity of the clays and sands of New 

 Jersey, Staten Island and Long Island, was early recognized. 

 So that strati graj^hically and lithologically the assumption 

 seemed justified. Palaeontologically, however, until within the 

 l^ast ten years or so, the indications were very meagre and un- 

 satisfactory, and it has only been within that time that we can 

 be said to have collected sufiicienk evidence to justify the posi- 

 tive declaration that the early assumption was correct. In 

 regard to Staten Island the facts have already been published*. 

 The facts relating to Long Island have been briefly men- 

 tioned on several occasions, notably at meetings of the 

 Academy, and memoranda have appeared in j^rint, but 

 nowhere has any connected account been published. The 

 object of this contribution is to present all the facts thus far 

 known to the writer. New material is constant)}' coming to 

 light, but it has been decided to describe in advance some that 

 is now available, in order to demonstrate the existence of 

 cretaceous strata on Long Island beyond any further doubt, and 

 thus to correct an erroneous impression which seems to be 



* " raUBOiitology of the Cret.aceous Formation on Staten Island." (Trans. 

 N. Y. Acad. Sci. XI. i)6-lo:j) and "Additions to the Pahvobotany of the Creta- 

 ceous Formation on Staten Island." (Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci. XII. 1-12,) 1802. 



