Geology of the MusJcingum Valley. 25 



and ^ 



ing state. Tbey are too much broken to give any definite outlines 

 of their form, sufficiently correct for a drawing. The middle por- 

 tion of the bed abounds with impressions of several species of Neu- 

 roptera. A figure of one of these species, is given on IVo. 29, (page 

 12 of the wood cuts.) The plant is replaced with yellow ochre, 



to the arborescent ferns. The upper or ash colored por- 

 tion of the bed, for about two or three inches in thickness, is filled 

 with the impressions of an asteroid blossom, arranged in rows, upon 

 a stem — sometimes six or eight in a line, the lower half of one 

 resting on the upper half of another. They are of different sizes, 

 but all equal on the same stem, and generally, each floret contains 

 twenty lour petals or rays. The marl in which they lie, contains a 

 little mica, and is literally filled with them. The broad leaf of some 

 arundinaceous plant is sometimes seen impressed amongst them. 

 Figure No. 30, (page 9 of the wood cuts) gives a very correct view 

 of their forms and size. Figure No. 31, (page 13 of the wood cuts,) 

 is from a very slaty, micaceous sandstone, on the Little Musking- 

 um, six miles east of this spot, and is a species of Neuropteris. No. 

 32, (page 9 of the wood cuts,) is from the same place j and is either 

 a portion of a thick ribbed palm leaf, or of the impressed rays of the 

 fin of a fish. It is most probably a palm leaf. No 31, is reduced 



to about one third, and No. 32, to about one fourth the natural, 

 size. — 10 feet. 



N. B. The boring for salt commenced in this stratum. 



10. Dark, blue argillaceous sandstone, rather soft in its texture, 

 but containing a considerable amount of sharp fine silex.— 75 feet. 



11. Red compact marl. — 2 feet. 



12. Hard blue rock, containing silex intermixed, scales of which 

 scintillate with steel. — 3 feet. 



13. Blue, argillaceous slate, filled with iron pyrites of a bright 

 brass color, leading the operator to think he had struck a rich gold 

 mine. — 19 feet. 



14. Grey sand rock, with a large proportion of mica, coming up 

 with the sludge in the pump, the size of a large fish scale two 

 eighths of an inch across. — 9 feet. 



15. Blue, compact lime rock. — 12 feet. 



16. Grey sandstone, with a large proportion of mica, — 3 feet. 



17. Red.sandstone. — 3 feet. 



18. Blue compact sandstone, with flint in fragments. — 9 feet 



Vol. XXIX.— No. 1.4 



