30 Bulletin 5 300 



124 FOSSIL SHELLS. 



An account of some of the FossiL SHELLS of Mary- 

 land. By Thomas Say. Read fitly 20, 1824. 



The following descriptions were made out from- 

 specimens in a very large and fine collection of 

 fossil shells which Mr. John Finch obtained with 

 much labour and some expense in Maryland, and 

 which that gentleman with great liberality sub- 

 mitted to my examination. Many of these shells 

 appear to the eye nearly as perfect, in every re- 

 spect, with the exception of colour, as the recent 

 ones of the coast, and not a few of the bivalves 

 have both valves attached together by the teeth 

 of the hinge ; circumstances which indicate an 

 undisturbed deposition from the waters in which 

 they had lived. Respecting the limits which cir- 

 cumscribe this body of shells, the relative situation 

 in which the species are found, &c. we may ex- 

 pect much interesting information from Mr. Finch. 

 I may, however, observe at present, that it seems 

 probable that the formation extends much farther 

 south than might at first be supposed, or that 

 nearly a contemporary one exists in South Caro- 

 lina. For a knowledge of this fact, I am indebted 

 to Mr. Stephen Elliott, who sent me several shells 

 from near the Santee river, one of which corre- 

 sponds perfectly with a species in the collection 

 of Mr. Finch. 



[J. A. N. S., Phila., ist Ser., Vol. IV, 1824.] 



