PREVIOUS DESCRIPTIONS AND STUDIES. 21 



discovery of Cretaceous fossils upon Long Island; but a large proportion of these 

 reported discoveries lack confirmation." 



It was about this time that the work which finally resulted in the preparation of 

 tliis monograph may be said to have, had its inception, although for several 3'ears 

 previously I had been engaged in the investigation of the Cretaceous strata on 

 Staten Island, the results of which were recorded from time to time in the Proceed- 

 ings of the Natural Science Association of Staten Island. During the j'^ears 1889 and 

 1890 Mr. David White and Mr. Lester F. Ward made extensive collections of paleo- 

 botanical material on Long Island and Marthas Vineyard, which resulted in the pub- 

 lication of two papers on the subject by Mr. White. " . These papers demonstrated so 

 conclusively the importance of fossil plants as paleontological evidence that the 

 prosecution of this line of investigation was clearty indicated as indispensable in 

 the event of any compi'ehensive investigation of the geology of the region being 

 attempted. This material was shortly afterwards turned over to me for critical 

 examination and report, but it at once became apparent that any such work would 

 lack completeness unless it could be made to include a study of all the coastal islands 

 and the adjacent shores. In accordance with this idea a systematic exploration was 

 at once begun, beginning at Staten Island and extending eastward through Long 

 Island, Block Island, Marthas Vineyard, Nantucket, the Elizabeth Islands, and 

 Cape Cod. The results of this exploration, which was carried on from year to year 

 as circumstances permitted, were included in a series of papers, most of which were 

 read before the New York Academy of Sciences or the Torrey Botanical Club, and 

 subsequently published in the Transactions or Annals of the former and the Bulle- 

 tin of the latter and of the New York Botanical Garden. ' The facts recorded in 

 these papers form the basis of this monograph, and in it is included all that seems to 

 be essential to its scope as previously defined. 



o Am. Jour. Sci., vol. 39, 1890, pp. 93-101; Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., vol. 1, 1890, pp. 5.54, 5.55. 



& I. Tlie paleontology of the Cretaceous formation on Staten Island : Trans. New York Acad. ScL, vol. 11 (February 29, 



1892), pp. 96-104, pis. 1^. 

 II. Additions to the paleobotany of the Cretaceous formation on Staten Island: Trans. New York Acad. Sci.. vol. 12 



(November 14, 1892), pp. 28-39, pis. 1-4. 



III. Additions to the paleobotany of the Cretaceous formation on Staten Island, No. 2; Annals New York Acad. Sci., vol. 



11 (October 13, 1898), pp. 415-430, pis. 36-38. 



IV. Some features of the drift on Staten Island, N. Y.: Armals New York Acad. Sci., vol. 12 (July 7, 1899), pp. 91-102, pi. 1. 

 V. Plant distribution as a factor in the interpretation of geological phenomena, with special reference to Long Island 



and vicinity: Trans. New York Acad. Sci., vol. 12 (April 24, 1893), pp. 189-202. 

 VI. Preliminary contribution to our knowledge of the Cretaceous formation on Long Island and eastward: Trans. New 



YorXAcad. Sci., vol. 12 (May 22, 1893), pp. 322-237, pis. 5-7. 

 VII. Additions to the paleobotany of the Cretaceous formation on Long Island: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, vol. 21 (February 

 20, 1894), pp. 49-65, pis. 174-180. 

 VIII. Additions to the paleobotany of the Cretaceous formation on Long Island, No. 2: Bull. New York Bot. Gard., vol. 3 

 (AprU 14, 1905), pp. 403^18, pis. 70-79. 

 IX. Some further notes on the geology of the north shore of Long Island: Trans. New York Acad. Sci., vol. 13 (January 



22, 1894), pp. 122-1.30, and table of distribution. 

 X. Geological notes: Long Island and Nantucket: Trans. New York Acad. Sci., vol. 15 (October 14, 1895), pp. 3-10. 

 XI. Geological notes: Long Island and Block Island: Trans. New York Acad. Sci., vol. 16 (October 19, 1896), pp. 9-18. 

 XII. Notes on Block Island: Annals New York Acad. Sci., vol. 11 (April 20, 1898), pp. 55-88, pis. 2-9. 



XIII. Observations on the geology and botany of Marthas Vineyard : Trans. New York Acad. Sci., vol. 13 (October 23, 1893), 



pp. 8-22. 



XIV. Dislocations in certain portions of the Atlantic Coastal Plain strata and their probable causes: Trans. New York 



Acad. Sci., vol. 14 (October 15, 1894), pp. 8-20, flgs. 1-5. 

 XV. A reconnaissance of the Elizabeth Islands: Annals New York Acad. Sci., vol. 13 (January 14, 1901), pp. 387-418, pis. 



8-15. 

 XVI. Geological and botanical notes: Cape Cod and Chappaquiddick Island, Mass.: Bull. New York Bot. Gard., vol. 2 

 (April 25, 1902), pp. 381-407, pis. 40, 41. 



