—_ 
And the “ Great Carolina Marl Bed.” 25 
since the discovery of human bones and works of art 
in 1844, in beds of this age, in the Ashley Basin ; 
and of similar discoveries (1854) in the lake dwellings 
of Switzerland, and also in the Somme Valley in 
France, they must now be referred to a more recent 
date, the Quartenary period. Its sands, rocks and 
fossils are replete with interest to the practical man 
when he sees and comprehends their meaning, and 
they fascinate beyond description the scientific ob- 
server who after long years of study realizes in the 
rocks and fossils of this period the charming revela- 
tions of geology, and at once comprehends their 
“sweet influences.” 
Referring again to Plate I, the reader will observe 
that we have divided these beds into two forma- 
tions; first, the Post-Pleiocene sands and shells; and 
second, the Phosphate-rock deposits. 
The shells from these beds appear, when taken 
from the sands, as fresh and perfect as those picked 
up on the sea beaches of our coast, and nearly all of 
them are of the same species. 
RECENT OR HISTORICAL AGE—PRESENT 
ELME. 
To complete the geological series, as represented 
in the table, p. 13, and in Plate I, we find that after 
the Post-Pleiocene beds comes the Recent or Histori- 
cal period in which were, and are, now being depos- 
ited the mould of the forests, and the washing of 
