THE ROMNEY FORMATION OF MARYLAND 363 



strike of the Devonian formations across Pennsylvania, a similar 

 lithologic and stratigraphic shale has been noted by various geologists 

 at different localities, until Monroe county in the northeastern part 

 of the state is reached, where it was positively identified by Dr. I. C. 

 White. The localities in the northeastern part of the state were 

 later studied by the writer, who from the lithologic, stratigraphic, 

 and paleontologic evidence fully accepted Dr. White's correlation.^ 

 This practically carried the black shale into southeastern New York, 

 where the identification of the black, fissile shale below the Hamilton 

 beds as the Marcellus has not been questioned. Finally, in the Cum- 

 berland basin of Maryland Mr. Schuchert positively identifies this 

 shale as "the Marcellus stage of the Middle Devonic," which he states 

 "rests directly upon the eroded Oriskanian."^ 



These shales in general are sparingly fossiliferous in Maryland 

 and northern West Virginia; but there are occasional layers in some 

 localities which contain a more abundant fauna. There may be a 

 question whether the fossiliferous zones noted at certain localities 

 are not stratigraphically above the very fissile bituminous shale so 

 well exposed in the southern part of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad 

 cut at Twenty-first Bridge, which agrees so strikingly with the Mar- 

 cellus shale of New York. The writer has studied to some extent 

 the fauna found mainly in the shales which lithologically closely 

 agree with the New York Marcellus. Dr. J. M. Clarke has probably 

 a larger collection, obtained in part from the fossihferous layers 

 mentioned above, which he is elaborating, and consequently this is 

 to be regarded as only a preliminary account of this fauna. 



Twenty-one species have been hsted by the writer from these 

 shales, three of which are restricted to Maryland.^ The other 

 eighteen either occur in New York or are represented by closely 

 affiliated species. These species range in New York from the Scho- 

 harie grit to the Chemung, inclusive, and the formations containing 

 the largest number of them, which therefore become the most impor- 

 tant in correlation, are as follows: Marcellus, 10 identical, 4 affiliated; 



^Bulletin No. 120 (1894), U. S. Geological Survey, p. 4. 

 ^Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXVI (1903), p. 422. 

 3 Tables giving the geological range and geographical distribution of the Romney 

 species will be published in the Maryland Devonian volume. 



