364 BEPORT OB^ NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1899. 



The Norwa}^ apatites have been mined according to Penrose since 

 1854, the earliest workings being at Kragero. According to Davies, 

 however, the discovery of deposits that could be profitably worked 

 dates only from 1871. The distribution of the material is very uncer- 

 tain and irregular, and the value of the deposits can not be foretold 

 with any great approximation to accuracy. Specimen No. 65122, 

 U.S.N. M., is characteristic. The large specimen on floor of hall, 

 weighing nearly 2 tons, shows well the massive character of the 



material. 



A second locality of phosphates but recently described, and which 

 seems to occur under somewhat similar conditions, exists in the Gelli- 

 vara Mountains, in Norrland. 



Nodular phosphatic deposits are described by Penrose' as being 

 found at intervals all along the Atlantic coast of the United States, 

 from North Carolina down to the southern extremity of Florida. The 

 North Carolina deposits occur principally in the counties of Sampson, 

 Duplin, Pender, Onslow, Columbus, and New Hanover, all in the 

 southeastern part of the State. The deposits are of two kinds, (1) a 

 nodular form overlying the Eocene marls and consisting of phosphate 

 nodules, sharks' teeth (Specimen No. 73643, U.S.N.M.), and bones as 

 embedded in a sandy or marly matrix, and (2) as a conglomerate of 

 phosphate pebbles, sharks' teeth, bones, and quartz pebbles, all well 

 rounded and cemented together along with grains of green sand in 

 a calcareous matrix. (Specimen No. 44244, U.S.N. M.) 



The beds of the first variety usually overlie strata of shell marl, 

 though this is sometimes replaced by a pale green indurated sand. 

 The tw^o following sections will serve to illustrate their mode of 

 occurrence: 



SAMPSON COUNTY. DUPLIN COUNTY. 



(1) Soil, sand or clay, 5 to 10 feet. (1) Sandy soil, 1 to 10 feet. 



(2) Shell marl, 5 to 10 feet. (2) Nodule bed, 1 to 2 feet. 



(3) Bed with phosphate nodules, 1 to 3 (3) Shell marl. 



feet. 



(4) Sea green, sandy marl, 2 to 4 feet. 



(5) Ferruginous hardpan, 6 to 12 inches. 



(6) Interstratitied lignites and sands as 



in (4). 



The nodules as described are of a lead gray color, varying in size 

 from that of a man's fist to masses weighing several hundred pounds. 

 In texture they vary from close compact and homogeneous masses to 

 coarse-grained and highly siliceous rocks distinguished by considerable 

 quantities of sand and quartz pebbles sometimes the size of a chestnut. 

 Occasionally the nodules, which as a rule are of an oval flattened form, 



1 Bulletin 46 of the U. S. Geological Survey, 1888. 



