1896.] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 13 



cent ones concerned themselves almost entirely with accounts 

 of the most obvious features — those concerned with the phe- 

 nomena of surface geology. Since the development of our 

 knowledge regarding the extension of the Tertiary and Creta- 

 ceous formations eastward the island has received but little at- 

 tention ; so it afforded almost a new field for investigation. 



The only attempt at an official survey of the State was made 

 in 1839 * and this is now of but little value, except as a matter 

 of history, as the following extracts will show : 



P. 13, " Block Island is the nearest approach to the Tertiary 

 formation in Rhode Island, but fossils are wanting, as they gen- 

 erally are throughout the formation in the State." 



P. 40. " No secondary [Mesozoic] rock formations are recog- 

 nized in Rhode Island." 



P. 114. " The Tertiary clay of the island, like other similar 

 deposits in the State, is destitute of any remains of marine 

 shells." 



An exhaustive review of this work was given by Professor 

 Benjamin Silliman, Jr., in 1841,f but it contains no criticisms of 

 value concerning the geology of Block Island. He merely says : 



P. 188. " Block Island, twenty -five miles from Newport and 

 fifteen from Point Judith, is a very small territory, with Tertiary 

 surface of granitic origin, and presents but little that is interest- 

 ing in geology beyond numerous peat bogs, bog iron ore, claj's, 

 sand and bowlders." 



As early as 1824 Mr. Steuben Taylor mentions " Ferruginous 

 sand in great abundance at Block Island, "| and several other 

 authorities have noted, from time to time, minerals recognized 

 there in the bowlders. 



In 1879 Mr. Warren Upham published the results of his work 

 on " Terminal Moraines of the North American Ice Sheet, "§ in 

 which he describes the Drift on Block Island and mentions : 



P. 92. "At one point only, about a quarter of a mile northeast 

 from Black Rock, are red, white and yellowish clays exposed. 

 * * * These were probably derived from older beds." In dis- 

 cussing the highest part of Clay Head he saj^s : 



P. 92. " This part * * * seems to be wholly of glacial origin; 

 but earlier beds, among which are some of white clay, with red 

 clay in small amount, form the base of the bank a third of a mile 

 to the south." 



* "Eeport on the Geological and Agricultural Survey of the State of Rhode Island, 

 made under a Resolve of Legislature in the year 1839." Chas. T. Jackson, M D., 

 Providence, 1840. 



fAm. Journ. Sei., XL. (ISU), 182-191,. 



X Am. Journ. tScL, VII. (1821,), 25/,. 



I Am. Journ. Set. XVIII. (1879), 81-92; 192-209. 



