133 Midway Stage 9 



Surv. and the Geol. Surv. of Alabama, Mr. L. C. Johnson was 

 sent mto the north Tertiary regions of Alabama and as earl}^ as 

 1883 (Science, vol. ii, p. 777; iii, p. 32) began to realize the fact 

 that the Tertiary-Cretaceous border line was considerably farther 

 to the north, in some localities at least, than was then generally 

 conceded. In other words he re-discovered Winchell's discover5^ 



Smith. — However, the first publication containing anything 

 like a satisfactory discussion of any section of the Midwa}^ stage, 

 was that by Dr. Eug. A. Smith and L. C. Johnson, published as 

 Bulletin No. 43 of the U. S. Geol. Surv., 1887. 



We shall see hereafter how this classic work must be consider- 

 ably modified in many ways to meet the demands of subsequent 

 observations, but the main points in the stratigraphy of our low- 

 er Eocene are there well set forth. 



Pejirose. — While engaged on the Texas Geological Survey, 

 Mr. R. A. F. Penrose (See ist Ann'l Rep't Geol. Surv., Texas, 

 1889), described certain lower Eocene formations under the name 

 of Basal or Wills Point claj^s. He made little or no attempt to 

 accurately locate them in the scale of Eocene beds farther east. 



Langdon. — In 1890, Mr. D. W. Eangdon, jr., read before the 

 Geological Society of America a paper entitled, "Variations in 

 the Cretaceous and Tertiary strata of Alabama. ' ' * He therein 

 gave many important facts regarding the Midway stage, particu- 

 larly as it crops out along the Chattahoochee river. He cor- 

 rected Eoughridge's erroneous reference of the light-colored, im- 

 pure limestone at " the base of Ft. Gaines bluff to the Claiborne 

 stage. The substance of this paper is repeated in Rep't Geol. 

 Surv. Ala., 1894, p. 368, et seq. 



Spencer. — In his First Report of Progress, 1891, Mr. J. W. 

 Spencer, State Geologist of Georgia, published a geological 

 map of the southwestern part of the State and indicated there- 

 on the distribution of the Midway as well as other stages. A 

 brief account is given on pages 44-46 of the Midway in this 

 State. From a consideration of our own observations and collec- 

 tions about Americus and Anderson ville, we are led to doubt 

 the correctness of Mr. Spencer's conclusions regarding the Mid- 

 way stage both as shown on the map and as expounded on the 

 pages just referred to. However, another summer's work will 

 determine matters more definitely. 



Safford. — A very brief note was published by Dr. J. M. Saf- 

 ford in the Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, vol. 

 iii, 1892, p. 511, on the "Middleton formation" of Tennessee, 

 Mississippi and Alabama, He states that from specimens seen 



*Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., vol. ii, pp. 587-606, July 8, 1891. 



