Miscellanies. 395 



13. Note by Dr. S. P. Hildreth, on the Lias of the West, 

 On a recent visit made to the iron ore deposits in Scioto and Law- 

 rence counties, Ohio, I also examined that great rock formation, un- 

 derlying the iron ores, and which is noted in the article on " the 

 coal measures of the valley of the Ohio," as a lias. I had not at 

 that time, seen the rock in place, hut had examined hand specimens, 

 and also possessed numerous fossil organic remains, imbedded in 

 the rock, from its surface strata to a depth of one hundred and fifty 

 feet. From the fact that the lower portions are argillaceous, and have 

 a slaty structure, and the whole series being formed in thin layers or 

 beds of one and two feet in thickness, in addition to which, one of the 

 fossil remains being apparently of the saurian family, I was led to class 

 it as a lias. But from careful personal inspection, I have changed that 

 opinion, and now consider it one of the lower members of the coal 

 series. A thick bed of coal is found near its inferior portion, lying 

 beneath the main rock, and petroleum and carburetted hydrogen gas 

 were freely discharged from the wells bored through it in search of 

 salt water, and also subsequently in searching for coal. The upper 

 strata consist of a fine grained white sandstone, and afford one of 

 the most beautiful materials for architectural purposes and for sculp- 

 ture, that I have ever seen, not inferior in splendor to the richest 



white marble. 



I am still of the opinion, that the rock noted as a lias, in the high- 



lands, on the heads of the Little Muskingum, and lying over the 

 coal, is a true lias, or at least on equivalent deposit. The calcare- 

 ous rock deposits, west and north of the coal measures in Ohio, I 

 have little doubt will be found to be transition rocks, or the oldest 

 secondary and underlying the coal. 



Marietta, Ohio, May 26, 1836. 



14. Transactions of the Maryland Academy of Science and Lit- 

 erature, 1836. — At the sitting Jan. 1st, the officers elected for the 

 present year are — P. Macauley, M. D. President. 



E. Geddings, M. D., Mr* P. T. Tyson, Vice Presidents. 

 D. Keener, M. D. Treasurer. 

 J. J. Cohen, M. D. Librarian. 

 Wm. R. Fisher, Secretary. 



A. B. Cleavland, M. D., Mr. Geo. W. Andrews, Geo. Frick, 

 M. D., Mr. Jas. Green, Curators. 



Jan. 14. — A series of specimens of zinc ore, were received as a 

 donation from Mr. J. Hitz, which were referred to Mr. P. T. Ty- 



