1897.] ASHLEY — GEOLOGY OF ARKANSAS. 217 



GEOLOGY OF THE PALEOZOIC AREA OF ARKANSAS 

 SOUTH OF THE NOVACULITE REGION. 



BY GEORGE H. ASHLEY, PII.D., 



Assistant Geologist. 



WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY JOHN C. BRANNER. 



(Read May 13, 1897.) 



Introduction. 



In 1890-92 Dr. George H. Ashley, the author of the present 

 paper, was entrusted with the study of that part of the Paleozoic 

 region of southwestern Arkansas lying between the Lower Silurian 

 Novaculite area or the Ouachita uplift on the north, and the Creta- 

 ceous area on the south. This paper gives the principal results of 

 Dr. Ashley's work. Properly speaking it is a part of the official 

 reports of the Geological Survey of Arkansas, but the survey was 

 abolished by the Legislature in 1893, and no provisions were made 

 for printing the several unpublished volumes. 



Mr. Ashley was ably assisted during one field season by Prof. A. 

 H. Purdue, now Professor of Geology at the Arkansas Industrial 

 University, and other valuable additions were made to the work by 

 Mr. John H. Means, who as assistant on the State Survey has 

 worked up the geology of the Lower Coal Measures north of the 

 Ouachita uplift. Some notes were also furnished by Dr. J. P. 

 Smith, formerly assistant geologist on the Arkansas Survey, now 

 Professor of Paleontology in the Leland Stanford, Jr., University. 

 The northern border of the Cretaceous rocks was traced by Dr. O. 

 P. Hay. 



The limited time that could be spent upon the geology of the 

 region discussed in this paper, the folded and faulted condition of 

 the rocks, the absence of fossils and the lack of good maps have 

 made it impossible for the author to enter into details regarding 

 the geologic history of the area. 



The divisions I have made of the rocks and the reasons for mak- 

 ing them are accepted, not as altogether satisfactory, but simply as 

 the best that can be offered under the circumstances. The beds I 

 have called the base of the Coal Measures are the novaculite con- 

 glomerates exposed at Hot Springs. The reason for considering 



