20 GEOLOGICAL REPORT. IA 3 ^, 35 



Cardinal sp., (allied to the former, and also found near Ripley.) 



Trigonia n. sp. {probably identical with a species from Chunenugga Ridge 

 in the collection of the Alabama Survey). 



Bwceramus sp. 



Another locality is in the Hatchie hills, S. 20, T. 5, R. 5 E., S. E. Tippah 

 county. Fossils few ; those recognized arc : 



Ammonites placenta .' 



Trigonia thoracica .' 



A third locality is at Mr. Sidal's, S. 18, T. R. 5 E., Tippah county. Fossils 

 few and indistinct : Trigonia ! and a Cardita ? were recognized. 



It will he observed by a glance at the map, that all these localities lie to the 

 eastward of the present region of occurrence of the group of fossils represented 

 by the above, viz : the Ripley Group, or Upper Cretaceous. 



34. Tirtiary Fossils in the Orange Sand. — As yet I have not 

 found any of the fossils of the marine tertiary in the strata o[ this 

 formation. There cannot, however, be any doubt that a great 

 part, if not all the silieified wood so commonly found in the Orange 

 Sand strata, is derived from the several lignitic stages of the tertiary. 

 Trunks of this wood may bo found iin' edded partly in the lignitic 

 strata, partly in the adjacent Orange Sand. The most common 

 plaee of occurrence of silieified wood, is at the planes of contact 

 of the strata of the two formations, where we find not only entire 

 trunks, but also layers consisting entirely of comminuted fragments. 

 Within tlieligniticstrata themselves, the wood is commonly hgnitized. 

 except sometimes where these strata themselves are composed of 

 sand. That portion of it which is buried in the lignite strata, is 

 generally tinged black, in part at least, with carbon* : while that 

 which projects into, or is found exclusively in the Orange Sand, is 

 white or gray throughout, unless the trunk be a very large one. 



35. The vegetable structure of the wood is generally very well preserved, and 

 microscopic examination will, no doubt, enable us to determine the species 

 (which are very numerous), and also to determine definitely whether or not the 

 species found in the Orange Sand are peculiar, or identical with those of the 

 underlying formations. Meanwhile, the only botanical evidence on the subject 

 is this, that while no tree Palms have as yet been found in either the Lignitic, 

 or Orange Sand strata of Nortlt Mississippi, they, as well as the remains o 

 Endogens generally, are common in both the Upper Lignitic and the Orange 

 Sand strata of Snaf/t Mississippi. The remains of dicotyledonous trees, and 

 especially of Gupaliferce,j are common to both districts ; coniferous wood, 



*Cross sections uf such partial) blackened wood, possessing a lound. jet Mack nucleus, have been 

 claimed as heirjg "Persimmon wood." 



fMost of tbe woods found .ire popularly referred to Hickories, Oaks and Beeches, to the wood o f 

 which the majority of specimens bear a strong resemblance. 



