290 Organic Remains of the Ferruginous 



TORTOISE. 



Bones of some species of Linnean Testudo are found sparingly in 

 the marls of Gloucester county. 



Beside the preceding osseous remains, there are others in the col- 

 lection of the Academy, (some of them of gigantic dimensions,) 

 which have not yet been identified. These, when ascertained, may 

 add several genera and species to the above catalogue. 



With respect to the teeth and vertebrae of the horse, found near 

 the Raritan River, if they are really in the fossil state, they belong 

 doubtless to the diluvial detritus which overlies all our formations ; to 

 the same deposit belong the remains of the elephant and mastodon, 

 which have been found in various parts of New Jersey, Sue. 



Remarks. 



After a careful examination of the preceding fossils, I adopted the 

 opinion of Mr. Vanuxem, viz. : that they denote a secondary formation, 

 in the modern acceptation of that term ; in other words, that they 

 characterize a formation contemporaneous with the super-medial or- 

 der of Phillips and Conybeare, the terrains de sediment moyen of 

 Brongniart. From the same data (organic remains) I infer more 

 specifically, as mentioned in the commencement of this paper, that 

 our marls are geologically equivalent to those beds which in Europe 

 are interposed between the white chalk and the Oolites ; nor can I 

 conceive how they can be classed with tertiary deposits, if zoological 

 characters have any preponderance in deciding geological questions. 



It appears to me to be altogether contrary to analogy, to sup- 

 pose that the opposite shores of the Atlantic ocean should produce 

 at the same epoch, two series of marine organic beings so widely dif- 

 fei'ent from each other as are those of our marls and the tertiary de- 

 posits of Europe. We know that there is at present a remarkable 

 generic accordance between the living mollusca of the eastern and 

 western shores of the Atlantic ocean ; and I have elsewhere''^ shewn, 

 tliat many species of shells are alread}^ identified as common to both ; 

 and doubtless the list will be greatly increased by extending the com- 

 parison. Is it not reasonable to suppose that this accordance was for- 

 merly as great as at present? And with existing analogies before us, 



Jour. Acad. Vol. VI. p. Ill), 120. 



