116 THE PLIOCENE AND PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS OF MAKYLAND 



remainder show differences amounting to a fraction of a foot. The gen- 

 eral average of all these shows that the average slope between all ten sta- 

 tions of the Wicomico formation amounts to .4 of a foot per mile toward 

 the southeast. What was said regarding the Sunderland formation slop- 

 ing from the higher elevations toward the surrounding waters is also true 

 in regard to the Wicomico formation. The vast development of this ter- 

 race on the Eastern Shore adds new weight to this statement from the 

 fact that it slopes toward Delaware Bay and the Atlantic on one side and 

 toward Chesapeake Bay on the other. From Grays Hill at the northern 

 extremity of the Eastern Shore to West at the southern extremity of the 

 Wicomico formation in the same region, there is an average slope of .5 

 of a foot per mile over a distance of 95 miles. The Wicomico terrace is 

 separated from the Sunderland by a well-pronounced scarp which has 

 been described at such length as not to require repetition in this place. 

 The constancy in position of the datum-line is well brought out through- 

 out the district, the only pronounced deviation occurring in southern 

 Maryland, where at Eidge it sinks to 45 feet. 



Throughout most of its extent the Wicomico still maintains a continu- 

 ous surface and there is no reasonable doubt that it was once continuous 

 throughout the area where isolated patches now exist. 



The tendency which has been found developing through the other dia- 

 grams finds its consummation in that of the Talbot formation shown on 

 Plate XXVI. The stations are all located on the datum-line where the 

 Talbot terrace abuts against the Talbot-Wicomico scarp, with the excep- 

 tion of the one at Crisfield, which is located at sea-level where the Talbot 

 merges with the surrounding beach. On this surface no average slope is 

 greater than 2 feet per mile while an even larger number of zeros are 

 present than shown in any of the other diagrams. The majority of the 

 remaining averages are very small fractions of a foot. The average slope 

 between all the stations does not exceed .28 of a foot per mile. It will be 

 seen, therefore, that the Talbot surface is in reality a level plain. What 

 was said in regard to the sloping of the Sunderland and Wicomico sur- 

 faces toward the surrounding waters also holds for that of the Talbot. 

 The presence of the scarp need not be further discussed. There can be 



