274 Organic Remains of the Ferruginous 



Art. III. — Synopsis of the Organic Remains of the Feri'uginous 

 Sand Formation of the United States ; loith geological remarks ; 

 hy Samuel G. Morton, M. D. of Philadelphia ; Member of the 

 Araer. Philos. Society; of the Academy of Natural Sciences of 

 Philad. &c. 



" Je regaide les caractferes d'epoque de formation tir6s de I'analogie des corps 

 organis^es, comme de premiere valeur en Geognosio, et comine devant I'emporter 

 sur toutes les autres differences quelque grandes qu'elles paraissent." — Mex. Brong- 

 niart. 



Introduction. 



The study of that portion of American Geology embraced in this 

 Synopsis, has constituted the chief recreation of my leisure hours for 

 several years past ; and almost every fact adduced in the following 

 pages has been derived from my own personal observation. But 

 while I speak with confidence of the fossils and mineralogical fea- 

 tures of the region in question, I mast confess considerable hesitation 

 in repeating the inferences I have drawn from them. Not, however, 

 because my opinions on this subject have changed from those already 

 given in the Journal of the Academy ; but because I find those opin- 

 ions are strenuously opposed by a gentleman who is altogether my 

 senior in geological pursuits. I allude to my friend Professor Eaton, 

 whose indefatigable exertions in the cause of science have justly ob- 

 tained for him a reputation which cannot be enhanced by any enco- 

 mium from me. 



Prof. |j!aton, in a late Geological Prodromus, announces his inten- 

 tion to prove that " the detritus of New Jersey, embracing the marl, 

 is antediluvial, or the genuine tertiary formation."* That it is ante- 

 diluvial, strictly speaking, I have no doubt ; but I am not yet con- 

 vinced that it is tertiary. As the difference between us, therefore, 

 is by no means inconsiderable, I beg leave to offer a few details on 

 the subject. 



About two years ago Mr. Vanuxem expressed to me his opinion 

 that the fossils of New Jersey denoted a secondary origin, and that he 

 considered them, in general terms, as characterizing a deposit contem- 

 poraneous with the chalk formation of Europe. I had about the 



* Amer, Jour, of Science, Vol. XVII. No. 1. p. 60. 



