Head, Nantucket, and their Fossils. 5 



published. In this he reviews the work of previous writers and 

 compares their statements with the exact conditions existing there. 

 Much of the work of Desor and Cabot, Scudder, and Verrill is 

 republished. No new fossils are added but a considerable amount 

 is done on the section exposed there. 



In 1896 Arthur Hollick published some notes on the cliff and 

 gives a list of the fossils he observed there, adding somewhat to 

 the list. At the same time a short paper by Frederick J. H. Mer- 

 rill gives a detailed section of the cliff in which are distinguished 

 four fossiliferous layers. Lists are given of the fossils found in 

 the various layers recognized. These add several species to the 

 list given by Prof. Verrill to whose generalizations in regard to the 

 beds and their formation exceptions are taken. The exceptions are 

 in favor of transportation of the original material to its present 

 position. 



In September 1904, the writer published a paper giving a list of 

 the fossils known from the deposits and adding a new one. These 

 were arranged in tabular form to show their relations in the four 

 beds and their present range, as either northern or southern forms, 

 indicated. The relations of the fossils of these four beds are con- 

 sidered, the range of the species being taken as a basis. 



During the summer of 1904, Mr. J. Howard Wilson spent some 

 time at Sankoty Head and made a considerable excavation there. 

 He collected many fossils a number of which had not previously 

 been known from these deposits. A notice of Mr. Wilson's work 

 appeared in Science, in June 1905. In an early paper a complete 

 account of the work is looked for. 



Since the formation of the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Associa- 

 tion, local interest in these deposits has been awakened. Several 

 of the members of the Association have been enthusiastic in trying 

 to add to the already long list of fossils from the cliff. Chief 

 among these may be mentioned Miss Elizabeth Kite, who relocated 

 the deposits and collected many specimens, and Mrs. Albertson, the 

 Curator, to whose interest the work is mainly due at present. In 

 1905 a special committee was appointed to as far as possible obtain 

 more specimens from the cliff. On July 4, 1905, a collecting trip 

 was made to Sankoty Head and proved to be very successful. A 

 section was made through the fossiliferous beds and the section 

 photographed. A reproduction of this is given on Plate II. A con- 



