And the “ Great Carolina Mart Bed.” 23 
MEIOCENE FORMATION. 
Next in the order of superposition is the Meio- 
cene or Middle formation of the Tertiary Period. 
The Marls and rocks of this age have not been found, 
as yet, in South Carolina. The beds supposed by 
Mr. Ruffin to belong to this age, proved, upon careful 
examination by Professor Tuomey, to be Pleiocene, 
according to Sir Charles Lyell’s classification. (See 
Tuomey and Holmes’ Pleiocene Fossils of South 
Carolina, p. ix.) The Meiocene is found in Virginia 
and Maryland; but the Carolina Beds are younger 
and belong to the Pleiocene age. 
THE PLEIOCENE FORMATION. 
According to Professor Tuomey the beds of this 
age “are generally made up of loose materials, such 
as sand, clay, gravel and marl; rarely indurated.” 
* *& “Seldom thick or continuous, being for the most 
part found in detached patches of limited extent.” 
A beautiful and instructive example of the Pleio- 
cene, with a band of carbonaceous matter of Post- 
Pleiocene age resting upon it, may be seen at the 
plantation of the late George Henry Smith, Esq., on 
Goose Creek, twelve miles from Charleston ; and is 
indeed well worthy of a visit from those interested. It 
is the only locality where the Eocene or Great Caro- 
linian Marl Bed, the Pleiocene, and the Post-Pleio- 
cene are found in position, regularly superimposed. 
