30 



FLORA OF SOUTHERN NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND. 



From an analysis of the above table it may be seen that so far as the insular 

 plant-bearing formations are concerned they occupy a position which is included in 

 the plastic clays and clay marls of White, the Raritan and Cliffwood formations of 

 Glark, and the Newer (upper) Potomac of Ward. A slight difference of opinion 

 may be noted in regard to the exact geologic age to wliich these formations are 

 referred, but there is a general agreement in regarding the Raritan and Cliffwood 

 beds, respectively, as the summit of the Lower Cretaceous and the base of the Upper 

 Cretaceous, and this accords with the paleobotanical evidence, as indicated in the 

 last column of the table, and as will be more fully set forth in the botanical discus- 

 sion. It may also be pertinent to remark in tliis connection that tliis evidence has 

 not hitherto been adequately presented, and that possibly some slight modification 

 of the views of the authors quoted might have resulted if all the facts now in our 

 possession had been known to them. 



In New Jersey successively higher horizons in the Raritan formation are repre- 

 sented by the plant-bearing deposits at Woodbridge, Sayreville, South Amboj^, and 

 Morgans, all of which places are on or near the coast. The Chffwood formation, 

 with possibty a part of the Matawan, is exposed in the bluff at Cliffwood. The 

 plant-bearing deposits on the islands, whose flora is described in this work, have 

 varying limits at different localities, including the Cliffwood formation and possibly 

 liigher horizons with varying amounts of the Raritan. The apparent relationsliips of 

 the beds at the different locahties are approximately shown in the following diagram : 



Approximate relationships of heds at the different localities. 



The " V between CUflwood and Morgans indicates a possibly intermediate bed 

 whose flora has not yet been criticalh'' studied, and the upper " ?" indicates that 

 some of the plant-bearing beds in the bluff at Cliffwood may lie above the formation 

 of that name. 



