The Oligocene of the Southern United States 



Introduction 



The validity of the correlation of certain beds of the southern 

 United States with the European Oligocene, although generally 

 assumed, may be regarded as open to question. The writer has, 

 therefore, attempted a comparison of these deposits with the typi- 

 cal Oligocene beds of western Europe, as a contribution to the 

 evidence on this subject. 



To gain a general knowledge of the European Oligocene 

 raolluscan forms, studies were made at the Paris, Bordeaux and 

 Brussels museums of paleontology. The geographical distribu- 

 tion of the species in the basins of Paris, Rennes, Mainz, the 

 Gironde, the Adour, Belgium and northern Germany was also 

 carefully noted. 



During the spring and summer of 1900, field work was 

 carried on in the French and Belgian Oligocene basins. The 

 commoner and many of the characteristic species were colle(5led 

 from these beds. A nearly complete set of stratigraphic speci- 

 mens was also obtained to illustrate the mineralogical charadlers 

 of the horizons. 



When possible, photographs were taken, but as the country 

 is very level and of no great elevation in the Oligocene sections 

 of France and Belgium, the camera could be used advantageously 

 only in open quarries. 



For purposes of comparison a brief review of the Oligocene 

 of western Europe is given. A bibliography of species was also 

 prepared. This list, while not absolutely complete or free from 

 synonymes .comprises several thousand species and is intended to 

 serve as a praiflical University laboratory guide to the fauna. 



Under the direcftion of Professor G. D. Harris, colle(ftions 

 have been made, during several successive years, for Cornell Xhu- 

 versity, of the Tertiary fauna of the southern United States. 



