Report on the projected Survey of the State of Maryland. 5 



These general remarks, concerning the extent and nature of the 

 shell marl deposites on the Eastern shore of Maryland, are predica- 

 ted upon the facts contained in the following extracts from notes ta- 

 ken upon several spots which were carefully examined by the under- 

 signed, or about which the information received was deemed satis- 

 factory. 



" At the Frederick ferry, on the Sassafras River, there is a par- 

 tial formation of a ferruginous sand stone rock, with impressions of 

 shells. This rock is covered by a deposite of sand and gravel, thirty 

 feet thick. 



"Three miles below Chestertown, on the Chester River, another 

 similar bank occurs, elevated about twenty feel above tide, composed 

 of a more indurated ferruginous sand and clay than that at the ferry 

 on the Sassafras, and strongly characterized by numerous impressions 

 of shells. 



"These spots may perhaps, be indicated as the commencement 

 of the fossiliferous deposites of the Eastern shore of Maryland. 



"At Centreville, we obtained information of the existence of beds 

 of shell marl on Corsica creek, which circumstances prevented us 

 from visiting : but the specimens obtained from that locality enable 

 us to state, that the deposites in that place furnish, what we would 

 term, two varieties of shell marl, one composed principally of clam 

 shells imbedded in clay ; the other consisting of pectens (scallop 

 shells) enveloped by an indurated ferruginous clay. 



" Easton is situated upon a foundation of shell marl. Experi- 

 ments made upon three samples of the waters used for the supply of 

 the town, indicated a notable proportion of lime, held in solution by 

 carbonic acid. 



" Five miles from Easton, on the Choptank River, and thirty miles 

 from its mouth, there is an extensive deposite of fossil shells, which 

 is very conspicuous for about two miles up the river. This deposite 

 which probably underlies nearly the whole of Talbot County, occa- 

 sionally makes its appearance immediately beneath the soil, at the 

 depth of only a few inches, in other places it is met with only at the 

 depth of several feet. 



" In the locality at present under examination, being one of the 

 most remarkable, the bank on the river is elevated about twenty feet 

 above tide. The shells occur therein in the following order : 

 1 . Soil consisting of sand, ferruginous sand, and 



gravel, about - - - - - 7 feet. 



