NORTH-CAROLINA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



recent. Upon the coast or near it I have observed limited 

 patches of peaty deposits resting upon a marine sand, and 

 upon the former beds of shells composed mainly, if not en- 

 tirely, of those which now live upon the coast. These beds 

 of shells are rarely more than ten or fifteen feet above high 

 tide. The peaty beds, however, lie at the water's edge, and 

 at many points are rapidly disappearing by the action of tides 

 and waves. 



The mode in which the shells are collected appeal's to have 

 been similar to that which was instrumental in the accumula- 

 tion of the common shell marl ; they appear to be heaps of 

 dead shells thrown up by the waves, still they are perfect, 

 or are but slightly worn by attrition. Those which are chang- 

 ed the most have become simply chalky from the action of 

 the weather upon them since they were deposited. The beds 

 which are now forming have received the name of Eolian 

 by Lieut. Nelson. The sands of the entire coast come under 

 this denomination, and may be regarded as deposits overly- 

 ing the accumulation of beds of shells already alluded to. 



60. The formations then upon the coast and interior of K. 

 Carolina may be subdivided into: 1. Green Sand, an import- 

 ant part of the secondary; 2. Eocene, consisting of white 

 marl which is made up of comminuted corals and shells, and 

 the lignite beds which consist of gray sand and pebbles, em- 

 bracing consolidated beds and a few beds of clay ; 3. Miocene 

 or Shell Marl, which is composed of fragments and entire 

 shells accumulated in banks ; 4. Pliocene and Postpliocenc, 

 which are made up of peaty beds, banks of shells, and finally, 

 moveable sands, (Eolian sands,) which are constantly moving 

 beyond the present coast line. It should be observed, how- 

 ever, that the third or Miocene division is regarded by Prof. 

 Holmes and the late Prof. Tuomey as Pliocene. 



In this State I have obtained the same fossils in equal 

 numbers as those in Virginia, where the beds still retain the 

 designation, Miocene. Not only, however, do they contain 

 the Virginia fossils, but those which in South-Carolina have 

 served to change the name from Meiocene to Pliocene. It 

 appears that many of the Virginia species belong to a warm 



