143 Midway Stage 29 



section north of Prairie Bluff), - - 80 feet. 



c. Bluish sandy clay, somewhat indurated, with 



CiiculliEa saffordi and Ostrea pulaskensis ( bed e 



of section north of the Bluff), about - 7 feet. 



d. Transition sandstone with pebbles and rolled frag- 



ments of Cretaceous fossils (bed / of section 



north of Prairie Bluff ) , - - - 10 feet. 



e. Cretaceous sandy clay. 



Midway and vicinity . — About half-way between the last men- 

 tioned exposure on Shell creek and Midway, in fields that are 

 now under cultivation, shelly limestone outcrops appear here and 

 there bearing many organic remains. Their state of preservation 

 is not excellent, but by diligent search fairly good specimens may 

 be found belonging to a large number of genera. In our field 

 notes and in the Museum catalogues we have referred to these 

 outcrops as i mile north of Midway. The following are the most 

 numerous forms: Enclimatoceras ulrichi^ Venei'icardia planicosta, 

 Venericaj'dia sp. , Ostrea pulaskensis \zx. , Ostrea crenulimarginata 

 var. , CucullcBa saffordi, C. macrodonta? , Galyptrophorus velatus, 

 Aporrhais, Isocardia mediavia, Protocardia, Tornatellcea bella, 

 Vobttilithes rugatics wss., Turritella moi'toni, Xenopho^-a, Trochita, 

 Fitsus, Natica, Solaimnn and Mesalia pumila. 



At Midway a low limestone bluff appears on the west side of 

 the river. It may be traced for several hundred yards up and 

 down the river, but yields few well preserved organic remains. 

 At its southern terminus, /. <?., where the limestone layers meet 

 the water's surface, black clays appear resting directly upon the 

 limestone and bearing fragmentary, yet determinable molluscan 

 remains. While visiting this spot several years ago the writer 

 noted Otadltsa macrodonta, Deyitalium, Yoldia eborea and corals 

 as at Black Bluff on the Tombigbee. 



Mattheivs' Landing. — This is the place referred to long ago by 

 Whitfield as 6 miles below Prairie Bluff on the Alabama river 

 (Am. Jour. Conch., vol. i, 1865, pp. 259-268). Specimens ob- 

 tained from here are often fragile, but when compared to those 

 from the great majority of the other Midway specimens consisting 

 only of casts, they must be regarded as extremely well preserved. 

 Weathering seems to harden these friable specimens, and hence 

 instead of digging, one finds it to his advantage to devote himself 

 to hunting over weathered material along the whole outcrop. 

 At a moderately low stage of the river the dark Midway clays 

 form an escarpment about 10 feet above the water, level as a floor 

 on top, with a length of perhaps 50 yards and a breadth of 10. 

 On this level surface atmospheric agents year by year prepare 

 large numbers of beautiful fossils for grateful collectors. 



