$4 GEOLOGICAL REPORT. [f 129, 130 



before him have not, at a comparatively recent period, formed the sea-beach.* 



129. In entering upon the territory of this formation from the 

 west side (on which, in S. Tippah. Pontotoc, and N. Chickasaw, it, 

 is bordered by the nutwoods), there is a very striking change in the 

 aspect of the country, which suddenly becomes hilly and broken, 

 the hillsides coming down steeply into the valleys, and exhibiting 

 outcrops of hard limestone, while the surface is covered with deep- 

 tinted Orange Sand. 



Springs become abundant, and the growth of vigorous Black 

 and Spanish rRed ,r ) Oak and Hickory, intermixed with lime-loving 

 trees like the Poplar (Liriodendron), Walnut, Butternut, Linn, 

 Umbrella Tree (Magnolia aiiriculata) and Locust on the hills, and 

 of the Sycamore. Honey Locust, Wild Plum and Red Bud in the 

 valleys, indicate? the change of .-oil. (n some portions of Ponto- 

 toc county, there is a pretty regular rise as we advance eastward 

 from the flatwoods, the 1 limestone strata, which at first were at the 

 foot, gradually ascending to tin; top of the hills of the Pontotoc 

 Ridge, until a sudden descent brings us down to the level territory 

 of the Rotten Limestone, at the E. foot of the ridge. Such is the 

 case on the road from Rocky Ford via Tardyville to Ellistown, 

 and on the Tocapola and Camargo road via Rcdland. The out- 

 cropping ledges of rock there form the crest of the ridge, which 

 runs parallel to the strike of the stratum. 



130. The geological structure is not, however, always as simple as in the caS 

 just mentioned. Commonly, the rock strata fall far short of reaching the east- 

 ern summit of the ridge ; and the hills, lower, and less distinctly co-ordinated 



*Sec also T. A. Conrad "On a group of cretaceous fossil shells, /mutt/ in Tip- 

 pah county, Miss., with descriptions of fifty-six new species" Jour. Acad. Nat. 

 Sc. Phila., n. s., Vol. 3, ^"323, ft*. — Some of the ibssils of the crystalline lime- 

 stone were observed by L. Harper at Ripley, in 1855, but were by him accounted 

 tertiary. Others were collected previously by Prof Wailes, on the bald hilltops 

 of Pontotoc. In spring 1856, I explored the territory, and collected the fossils 

 of the Ripley Group from the town of Pontotoc to the Tennessee line, and in 

 autumn of the same year, its southern portion, from Pontotoc to Houston. 

 Upon my information regarding these localities, Dr. William Spillman, of 

 Columbus (whose splendid collection of fossils from the lower stages of the 

 Cretaceous has already been mentioned), visited the Owl Creek locality in 

 November 1856, and brought back a tine collection of its fossils ; which he 

 subsequently submitted to Mr. Conrad for description, there being then no 

 prospect of anything being done with the collections of the Geological Survey. 

 Great credit is due to Br. S. for the energy and enthusiasm with which he has 

 for years pcrsued, during all his leisure hours, the study of the cretaceous 

 formation of Mississippi. With the exception of a single locality (Kindriek'* 

 mill, visited by me in spring 1858), all *be observations recorded here concern- 

 ing this formation, are derived from n y field notes of spring and autumn 1856. 



