12 Bulletin 4 136 



The term Buff Sand is certainly objectionable for many reasons; 

 other terms like Flatwoods Clays and Porter' s Creek group were 

 not sufficiently defined stratigraphically or paleontologically to 

 merit permanent usage. 



Location, geographically and stratigraphically . — Midway is the 

 name of a plantation and landing on the west side of Alabama 

 river about five miles below Prairie Bluff, in Wilcox county. 

 It is said to have derived its name from the fact that river men 

 regarded it as midway between Mobile and Montgomery. The 

 beds exposed along the low bluff at this place consist of impure 

 limestone ledges carrying rather sparsely at different places the 

 " Turritella " and " Knclimatoceras " faunae. These beds dip 

 gradually to the south and where they reach the river's surface 

 they are overlapped by black clays bearing the Black Bluff 

 fauna. Down the river there is doubtless something like a hun- 

 dred feet of cla5^ey deposits above these limestone layers, while 

 to the north and below there is nearly an equal amount of cal- 

 careous sand and clay. Hence the landing is accidentally in 

 the medial part of the stage. 



Differentiation from the Lignitic. — The writer made bold to 

 suggest in his Arkansas report for 1892, (vol. ii, pp. 8, 9), that 

 facts warranted the co-ordination of the terms Lignitic and Mid- 

 way, /. e., that the latter should no longer be regarded as a 

 subdivision of the former. He also suggested including the 

 Matthews' lyanding and Black Bluff claj^s in the Midway stage. 

 Further observation confirmed these views and in a subsequent 

 publication (Am. Jr. Sci. , vol. xlvii, p. 304, 1894) a tabular view 

 of the Eocene beds was given. Practically the same he included 

 in the fourth edition of Dana's Manual of Geology. 



The publication of the State Geological Survey of Alabama 

 in 1894 co-ordinated the two terms Lignitic and Midway, but 

 limited the latter to the ' ' Knclimatoceras limestone' ' and ' ' Tur- 

 ritella limestone" and intermediate layers. 



The Midway stage, a stratigraphic and paleontologic unit. — 

 Having now studied this stage in six States, the writer feels at 

 liberty to make a few suggestions as to what ought to be includ- 

 ed within its limits, and what should be referred to preceding 

 and what to subsequent stages. 



We should take in all such cases some section or locality as 

 typical, with which to compare all others. Perhaps the "Oak 

 Hill-Pine Barren' ' section given in our description of the geology 

 of Wilcox Co., Ala., will best serve this purpose. Bed 9, (Mat- 

 thews' Landing horizon), is the first that can at present be posi- 

 tively located; for the lignitic sands above seem to be devoid of 

 molluscan remains but suggest a close affinity with the Lignitic. 



