228 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [MaY 22 



in New Jersey, but reference to their 2:)robable extension 

 through Staten Island and Long Island. 



In 1873, a geological map of the United States, prepared by 

 C. H. Hitchcock and W. P. Blake, was published in connection 

 with the Ninth United States Census, On it the north shore of 

 Long Island is shown as cretaceous, in accordance with the 

 views of nearly all who had studied the region. It was criti- 

 cised, however, by J. D. Dana*, whose ideas in regard to the 

 geology of Long Island have frequently differed from those 

 held by most other aiithorities, and he advised, as an improve- 

 ment, " to take away the green color, which means cretaceous, 

 from the whole of the north side of Long Island, no facts 

 making the region cretaceous." Prof. Hitchcock replied briefly 

 to this criticism and gave his reasons for coloring the map to 

 represent cretaceous, in a paj^er read at the Portland, Me., 

 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science in ISTSf, in which he says, "Notwithstanding the 

 evidence is so probable in its favor, it is surprising to observe 

 that mine is the first published map that colors their area cor- 

 rectly." 



Professor Dana subsequently modified his criticism | by refer- 

 ring to the conclusions of Wm. M. Mather, previously quoted, 

 and ending with the brief jmragraph, " We understand that 

 there are recent discoveries which will place Prof. Mather's con- 

 clusion on a better foundation." This practically ended any 

 further controversy in regard to the age of the Long Island 

 strata, for evidence of the presence of cretaceous strata along 

 the north shore of the Island began to accumulate and could 

 no longer be ignored. At a meeting of the New York Lyceum 

 of Natural History, January 9, 1871, attention had been called 

 to augiospermous leaf impressions found in a drift bowlder 

 while digging a well at Williamsburg (Brooklyn), Long Island §, 

 and at the meeting of the same society on March 23, 1874:, 

 similar specimens were shown from Llo7/d's Neck||, many miles 

 further to the eastward on the north shore of the island. 

 Specimens containing dicotyledonous leaves also turned up in 

 other parts of Brooklyn during excavations for various purposes, 

 and some of these fortunately came into the possession of the 

 Long Island Historical Society, thus insuring their preservation, 

 with the facts connected with their discovery. 



* Am. Journ. Sci. vi. 64-66 (1873). 



t Proc. A. A. A. S. xxii. Part 2d, 131-132 (1874). 



t Am. Journ, Sci. vi. 305 (1873). 



§ Proc- Lye. Nat. Hist., 1st Sen, 149, 150 (1871). 



II Proc. Lye. Nat. Hist., id Ser., 127 (1874). 



