Geology of England and Wales &c.” 213 
ands along the coast of Massachusetts a Connecticut, ob- 
viously belong to the same series of stra 
It is important in this place to sare Bod the various 
beds above the chalk, and, indeed, of almost all the secon- 
dary strata below this, are identified, in different countries, 
not so much by any resemblance in external, or chemical 
characters, as by the similarity of the organic remains found 
in them. The discovery of this principle, ‘(to be credited 
to William Smith,) is one of the most fortunate achievments 
of modern geology. For it would be wholly impossible, 
in many cases, for the most experienced eye to discriminate 
between hand specimens from strata widely separated in 
the earth. But here we have a clue, that rarely misleads; 
and it shows us the importance and necessity of a study of 
organis sed remains :—a subject, which i 1s yet in its infancy; 
Bertin details are furnished. We have room to a 
remarks concerning the several members of the 
series. 
e Upper Marine Formation occurs in three places iw 
England : viz. the Crag of Suffolk,t Bagshot Sand, and 
a basin in the Isle of Wight. The first of these consists of 
nearly horizontal beds of sand and gravel, and friable 
masses of ferruginous sand, somewhat cemented together, 
all of them enclosing shells: the —— consists. of sili- 
ceous sand and sandstone without any cement, but contain- 
ing shells ; and the third consists hil of a: heh sen 
marle, embra cing immense shells» In a 
these beds, be: shell are of —, origin, and hence the 
Lhe Fresh Water Formations, s o called because ‘ont 
Contain only fresh water shells, are divided into Upper and 
Lower. These are pepareiee by the interposition of the 
Upper Marine Formation, which leads us to the certain 
Conclusion, that these “different t beds must have been de- 
ve was written, we bave terested in read- 
* Since the abo eet Ter- 
ea the last number of this nthe Sok veny by Mr. 2 Glan a fot 
n America. ves 
extended Sree js made to refer us to the localities of seven dis- 
mem bers tions above the chal te our geologists 
+# Crag is a local name for gravel.”—p. 11. 
