West Virginia and Pennsylvania. 49 



It should be remarked that great difficulty was experienced 

 in making these sections, owing to the fact that good ex- 

 posures are rare, since the sandstones and shales of the 

 Upper Barren Group disintegrate so readily as soon to con- 

 ceal themselves and all other strata in their own debris. 



The sections speak for themselves in showing the well 

 known fact, that the coals and sandstones thin out toward 

 the west, while the limestones thicken up. Their contrast 

 ill this respect is remarkable. In the description which fol- 

 lows, section No. I is always meant where no reference is 

 made to No. II. 



Prof. H. D. Rogers in his Pennsylvania Report intimates 

 that possibly somewhere in the highest hills of the series in 

 Greene Co., Pa., Permian types of fossils may yet be dis- 

 covered. Without desiring to discourage future observers 

 in searching for such forms, I can only say that I made a 

 diligent search, not only in the highest hills found by me in 

 Greene Co., Pa., but also in those of West Virginia, and as 

 a result failed to discover a fossil animal or plant of any 

 type above No. 5 of Sec. I. These uppe; sandstones and 

 shales are very coarse, giving evidence of having been de- 

 posited by pretty strong currents. 



No. 2 is the highest limestone found by me ; it is rather 

 impure, but has been burned for lime in a few instances. On 

 account of its elevation, it is frequently found strewn over 

 the ground on some of the summits of hills, and is locally 

 known as the "Ridge" limestone. It is seen near the top of 

 the hill ou the road from Tom's Run to Wheeling creek, and 

 also 300 feet below Hunsucker's Knob, four miles northeast 

 of Burton, B. & O. R. R., where Sec. I begins. 



No. 4 is the first coal that we meet with. Though a small 

 vein, it is remarkably pure, and has frequently been used by 

 the blacksmiths in the vicinity. Jno. Taylor, near the head 

 of Dunkard, has procured his fuel from it for some time, and 

 says it is an excellent coal. It is the same as No. 4 of Sec. 

 II, which appears near Perry Moore's on Wheeling creek. 



July, 1874. 4 Ann. Ltc. Nat. Hist., Vol. xi. 



