Fossil Remains in Manjland. lir> 



which these remains were found, is a very extensive one. Mr. 

 M'Clure, in his sketch of the geology of the U. States, designated 

 the low part of the Atlantic coast, as alluvial. This was in the 

 infancy of the science, before the line was well drawn here be- 

 tween marine and fresh water fossils, and before it was known 

 that this deposit exclusively contained marine remains. Dr. Van 

 Renselaer, we believe, was the first to give it its true place in 

 the tertiary. Subsequently, the zealous labours of Dr. S. G. Mor- 

 ton, and Professor Vanuxem have not only made known to us 

 many of the fossils of the Atlantic coast, but have made a per- 

 manent distinction between the tertiary beds in Maryland, and 

 those much lower in the series, of New Jersey. Mr. T. A. Con- 

 rad has a very satisfactory and intelligent paper on this subject 

 in the journal of the Academy of Natural Science, Vol. vi. part 

 2. The valuable papers of Dr. S. G. Morton, are in parts first 

 and second, of the same volume, to which we with pleasure refer 

 our readers. Mr. Say's able " account of some of the fossil shells 

 of Maryland," is found at page 124, of Vol. iv. of the Journal of 

 the Academy of Natural Science. 



Had there been any thing new in the fossils Dr. Owen has so 

 obligingly forwarded to us, we should have devoted a plate to it. 

 Dr. Owen's section is valuable, and we publish it, together with 

 his letter, not only because he deserves .every attention at our 

 hands, but because we think it a model for all future communi- 

 cations of this kind, made under similar circumstances. It is only 

 by noting every thing, and preserving every thing, that we 

 can hope to become thoroughly acquainted with the geology of 

 this flat part of the coast, especially. Editor. 



Letter from Dr. J. S. Owen, to the Editor. 



Anne Arundle, Md. July, 1831. 



Sir, — The statement which appeared some time past in the 

 papers, respecting some fossil remains, said to have been discov- 

 ered by me, was not altogether correct, only a few bones having 

 been found, and those not such as to enable me to say to what 

 class of animals they belong. This statement was made without 

 my knowledge, and contrary to my wish ; and it was not until af- 

 ter the lapse of some weeks, that I was informed any publication 

 on the subject had taken place. 



Yet as the bones found are of a large size, and as I have no 



