128 Mr. Weaver on the Carboniferous Series 



same geological deposits ; a view in which he is supported by 

 these anthracitous and bituminous coal tracts containing fossil 

 plants, similar to those occurring in the bituminous coal field 

 near Zanesville in Ohio, and similar to such as are found also 

 in the great coal fields of Europe, at Newcastle-on-Tyne, at 

 Saarbriick, &c. : and the opinions expressed on this subject 

 by Professor Silliman and Dr. Harlan appear to lean the same 

 way. In further corroboration ot this view it may be added, that 

 both the anthracitous and bituminous coal regions in Pennsyl- 

 vania are productive of large quantities of clay iron stone, the 

 usual concomitant of the coal fields of the great carboniferous 

 order. 



On the other hand, Mr. R. C. Taylor has taken a different 

 view, and refers the anthracitous coal of Pennsylvania to the 

 transition aera ; but I confess the evidence which he has ad- 

 duced does not appear to me to disprove the connexion in 

 the north-eastern part of Pennsylvania between the bitu- 

 minous coal fields of Lycoming, Tioga, and Bradford, with the 

 anthracitous coal fields of Carbondale, Lackawanna and Wy- 

 oming. More south, from the two sections which the author 

 has given as roughly traced for the purpose of illustration, the 

 one being drawn from Lycoming county and the other from 

 Clearfield county, but both from the Alleghany mountain range 

 on the north-west to the valley of the Susquehanna on the 

 south-east, it would appear that a wide interval occurs between 

 the nearly horizontal bituminous coal range of the Alleghany 

 mountain on the west and the anthracitous coal range of 

 Schuylkill, &c. on the east; an interval occupied by a series 

 of rocks which, within the transverse distances of 76 and 66 

 miles respectively, exhibit two anticlinal lines, exposed, it would 

 appear, by abruption, and which are referred by the author 

 to the transition system. 



In the Lycoming section (No. 2 of the author) the beds 

 and distances are given in the following order : Miles 

 la.) From the Alleghany mountain, composed of the coal 

 formation supported by old red sandstone dipping 

 west, and underlaid by shales, limestone, sandstone, 

 to limestone in the Muncey valley (there in anticli- 

 nal order) 9 



Succeeded by 

 (6.) Greywacke slate, limestone, greywacke shales, with 

 two beds of limestone, greywacke, shales, to sand- 

 stone in the valley of Penn's Creek, (there in syn- 

 clinal order) 18 



* 38 



