102 PHYSIOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF THE COASTAL PLAIN PROVINCE, 



surface. The deposits consist almost entirely of glauconitic sand in which 

 are occasional fossil casts although they are seldom abundant and in this 

 respect form a striking contrast to the Aquia deposits exposed along the 

 Potomac Eiver. 



In Eichmond the x\quia is exposed in many places along Shockoe and 

 Gillis creeks. A short distance south of the Locomotive Works a thickness of 

 about 8 feet of Aquia is exposed and here it consists of a greenish-gray 

 fine sand somewhat resembling in color a mixture of pepper and salt. It is 

 overlain by impure diatomaceous earth belonging to the Calvert formation. 

 The Aquia sand contains some glauconite though much less than occurs 

 at most places. In the sand are num-crous sharks teeth, fragments of bones, 

 and a very few molluscan casts. Along Gillis Creek in the southeast portion 

 of Eichmond the Eocene is exposed in several places and the weathered 

 greensand has been dug for use as moulding sand. It contains a few small 

 pebbles and fossil casts. 



I. Section at Howlett House Bluff, right larik of James River, three and 

 one-half miles east of Chester. 



Feet 

 Pleistocene. Sunderland Yellow loam grading downward into mottled 



(red, drab, yellow) loam and then into 

 coarse brown sand with few pebbles .... 45 



Miocene. Calvert . Yellow sand, very fine, formerly shipped 



away in barges as a moulding sand. Upper 



part coarser than lower 35 



Compact clay, blue when fresh, pure white 

 when dry 15 



Eocene. Aquia Mottled light and dark grayish-gi-een sand 



with considerable glauconite 15 



Lower Cretaceous. Patuxent Conglomerate bed containing large and small 



cobbles, pebbles, etc., in matrix of coarse ar- 

 kosic sand. Materials extremely variable. 

 Lower part is in several places quite firmly 

 indurated ( exposed to water's edge ) . . . . 30 



Total 140 



II. Section on James River, five miles above City Point. 



The Aquia formation outcrop's above the water to a height of from 1 

 to 9 feet for a distance of about one-half to three-quarters of a mile 

 above upper Shirley. It consists of dark, almost black, fine, argillaceous 

 sand containing small pieces of mica and some casts of Tnrritella mortoni 

 and pelecypods. The upper part where weathered is yellow. 



