230 



The Physical History of the Trias 



Between these two Triassic areas we find a belt of highly met- 

 amorphosed rocks, which appears at the surface in the southern 

 part of New York and in the western portion of Connecticut. 

 A section through this region would show the arrangement 

 indicated in the following diagram : 



Fig. 1. Diagram showing the relation, of the Triassic oeds in 

 New Jersey and Connecticut. 



JV.jr. JV.-T. Conn. 



A\\\y///A\\\\\\\\://///A.\\\\\v 



Applying to such a section — disregarding for the moment 

 the thickness of the beds — the usual method of geological rea- 

 soning, the conclusion at once presents itself that the in- 

 clined Triassic beds in New Jersey and Connecticut are but the 

 flanks of a great arch, the upper portion of which has been re- 

 moved by denudation. The idea here advanced is that the 

 red shales and standstones of New Jersey and those of Connec- 

 tocut, were once continuous, extending horizontally over the 

 intervening region of crystalline rocks, and that they were 

 afterwards elevated, the axis of upheaval passing southwest- 

 ward through southern New York. We have reached this 

 conclusion not only from observing the inclination of the beds 

 under discussion, which has suggested the same idea to other 

 geologists, but. also, from the study of the character of the 

 sediments forming the flanks of this great arch. 



Were it possible to make a section through the deposits now 

 forming in the Bay of Fundy, we should find, at either end 

 of the line, thin-bedded strata of mud and sand, bearing the 

 familiar records of shallow water and mud-flat conditions. 

 Between these shore-deposits, we should find a broad area of 

 deep-water formation, more constant in composition, and lack- 

 ing the peculiar markings of the shore deposits. 



In studying the Trias in New Jersey, we have f our. d that 

 foot-prints, rain-drop impressions, etc., occur most abundantly 

 along the western margin of the formation, and are seldom if 



