GEOLOGICAL AND PALEONTOLOGICAL 



RELATIONS, WITH A REVIEW OF 



EARLIER INVESTIGATIONS 



BY 



GEORGE BURBANK SHATTUCK 



Historical Eeview.' 



For a period .of more than 200 years the Miocene deposits of Mary- 

 land have attracted the attention of geologists. Two conditions have 

 been of special importance in creating this extraordinary interest; first, 

 the extensive beds of fossil shells which occur throughout the Miocene 

 formations, and second, the unusually fine exposures which dissect the 

 beds in all directions. Notwithstanding the fact that Maryland holds 

 the key to the Miocene stratigraphy of the Atlantic states the early 

 contributions to our knowledge regarding this region were of little 

 importance even as reconnoissance reports, and only very slowly have 

 the true relations of the Miocene beds been brought to light. 



As early as 1669 Nathaniel Shrigley wrote regarding "Relations of 

 Virginia and Maryland," and mentioned fullers earth among the other 

 natural resources found in that region. No definite locality was given 

 where this deposit could be found, but it is probable that the author 

 had in mind the extensive deposits of greenish sandy clay, which occur 

 in the Calvert Cliffs and elsewhere and have long been known to the 

 inhabitants of southern Maryland as " fullers earth." 



1 la citing books in this and the subsequent chapter on Bibliography, the author 

 has not confined himself to articles pertaining to Maryland alone, but has also 

 referred to important works which treat of similar deposits in neighboring states. 

 As the geologic province extends from Marthas Vineyard southward to Florida and 

 is not interrupted by political boundaries, some notice of neighboring regions must 

 be given. 

 c 



