96 THE GEOLOGY OF PKIXCE GEORGe's COUXTY 



state that the flora of the "Cliffwood beds'' shows Cenomanian char- 

 acteristics. 



The animal remains described by Weller" from the Magothv at 

 Cliffwood Point were found in smooth concretionary nodides in a 

 clay bed or lying loose on the beach, where they were left ])v the 

 erosion of the clay beds that originally contained them. The fanna 

 is characterized by the presence of great nnmbers of crustacean 

 remains. Some portion of a crab seems to have been the nucleus 

 about which the nodules were formed in almost every instance. 

 Pelecypods, gasteropods, and cephalopods also occur. The most 

 abundant forms are the following pelecypods: Trirjonaira sp., 

 Pteria petrosa. Nuculana protexta (f), Yoldia evansi, Isocardia 

 clijfwooclensis, Veleda lintea, CorhuJa sp., and among the Crustacea 

 Tetracarciinis subquadrafiis. These are of considerable importance, 

 for, with the exception of a few forms from the Raritan in the same 

 area, they are the earliest marine fossils found in the deposits of 

 the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Weller states that the assemblage of 

 forms constitutes a distinct faunule which more nearly resembles the 

 faunule of the Matawan formation than any other. 



Sfril'e. Dip, and- Tliicl-iicss. — The strike of the Magothy formation 

 is roughly parallel to that of the other Coastal Plain formations — 

 from northeast to southwest. The dip is southeastward, at about 30 

 to 35 feet to the mile. Within Prince George's County the maximum 

 thickness of the Magothy formation is about 40 feet, but in its wider 

 extent the thickness is extremely varialdc, reaching a maximum of 

 about 100 feet. This variability is due to greater deposition in some 

 regions than in others and also to the removal of considerable Mag- 

 othy material in certain areas. 



Stratif/rapliic liclaliuns. — The Magothy formation lies between 

 the Raritan and ]Matawan formations and is separated from each by 

 an unconformitv. The line of contact between the Magothv and the 

 Raritan is very irregular, indicating a considerable erosion interval 

 between the times of their deposition. In many places the Magothy 

 deposits till pockets and old channels in the Raritan. The uncon- 

 -Ann. Rept. State Geol. New Jersey for 1904, pp. 133-144. 



