212 Review of " Outlines of the 



follows, reckoning downwards: 1. Upper Fresh water 

 Formation : 2, Upper Marine Formation : 3. Lower Fresh 

 Water Formation : 4 The London Clay: 5. Plastic 

 Clay and Sand between the London Clay and the chalk. 

 The reader will recognise, in these divisions, a resemblance 

 to the basin of Paris, so ably described by Cuvier and 

 Brongniart. They are, indeed, identical ; and the same 

 series occurs in several other places in France, in the 

 Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Moravia, 

 Italy, Sicily, Dalmatia. Greece, Spain, Norway, Iceland, 

 Hindoostan, Lower. Egypt, and we find the followirg re- 

 mark relating to North America. 



" In North America the tract extending between the At- 

 lantic and the Alleghany mountains, appears to be composed 

 principally of formations of this character : organic re- 

 mains from this quarter are preserved in the Woodwardian 

 collection at Cambridge." p. 9. 



We have not personally examined that vast region south 

 of New-York, bordering on the Atlantic, which is marked 

 as alluvial by our geologists. But, as already remarked, 

 regular strata of clay, sand and gravel have universally 

 been regarded in this country as alluvial, provided they 

 were not consolidated. And it is impossible to believe so 

 extensive a tract, as that above named, can be alluvial, in 

 the modern restricted s(mse of that term ; since no alluvi- 

 al district of one hundredth part its size occurs in any other 

 part of the globe. There can be, therefore, but little doubt 

 that much of it answers- to the strata in England above the 

 chalk; although a part of the series may be wanting. 

 And since it is certain that regular,- interstratitied beds of 

 clay, sand, and gravel exist in almost every part of the 

 United States, we may conclude, with a good degree of 

 certainty, that some of the members of this series are 

 abundant among us. We do not recollect a more striking 

 display of these strata, (or rather a part of them, not im- 

 probably the Plastic Clay formation,) than is presented on 

 Martha's Vineyard ; where the high, perpendicular banks 

 afford a fine opportunity for observing, beneath the diluvi- 

 um, alternating beds of red, yellow, brown, white, and black 

 clay, ochres, sand, ferruginous sand, gravel, and included 

 lignites ; none of them being consolidated, except the 

 feruginous gravel in an imperfect degree. Many other isl- 



