﻿238 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Chapter 
  5 
  

   POST-PLIOCENE 
  FOSSILS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NIAGARA 
  RIVER 
  

  

  GRAVELS 
  

  

  BY 
  ELIZABETH 
  J. 
  LETSON^ 
  DIRECTOR 
  OF 
  THE 
  MUSEUM 
  OF 
  THE 
  

   BUFFALO 
  SOCIETY 
  OF 
  NATURAL 
  SCIENCES 
  

  

  The 
  post-Pliocene 
  shells 
  in 
  the 
  gravel 
  beds 
  of 
  the 
  Niagara 
  river 
  

   have 
  long 
  been 
  known, 
  but 
  never 
  before 
  been 
  fully 
  described. 
  The 
  

   localities 
  at 
  which 
  shell-bearing 
  gravels 
  have 
  thus 
  far 
  been 
  found 
  

   are 
  Goat 
  island, 
  Prospect 
  park, 
  Queen 
  Victoria 
  park, 
  Muddy 
  creek, 
  

   whirlpool 
  (both 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  river), 
  and 
  at 
  Foster's 
  flats. 
  The 
  shells 
  

   occur, 
  generally, 
  intimately 
  mixed 
  with 
  the 
  sand 
  and 
  gravel, 
  show- 
  

   ing 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  transported 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  localities 
  by 
  currents 
  

   and 
  eddies. 
  The 
  same 
  action, 
  taking 
  place 
  in 
  recent 
  times, 
  may 
  be 
  

   witnessed 
  at 
  the 
  lower 
  end 
  of 
  Goat 
  island, 
  where 
  the 
  dividing 
  water 
  

   washes 
  the 
  shells 
  into 
  the 
  pockets 
  and 
  crevasses 
  in 
  the 
  rock.^ 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  table 
  shows 
  the 
  distribution 
  of 
  these 
  shells 
  in 
  the 
  

   various 
  deposits, 
  and 
  also 
  where 
  these 
  forms 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  living 
  

   today. 
  

  

  NAME 
  OF 
  SPECIES 
  

  

  1 
  

  

  s 
  

  

  

  

  t 
  

   I 
  

  

  Oh 
  

  

  .2 
  

   

  

  u 
  

  

  6 
  

  

  II 
  

  

  ^ 
  ■ 
  

  

  k 
  

  

  c 
  

  

  1= 
  

  

  1 
  

  

  bo*" 
  

   c 
  

  

  '> 
  

  

  14 
  

  

  4) 
  

  

  1 
  

  

  be 
  

  

  Gastropoda 
  

  

  ¥ 
  PI 
  (=>n 
  rnrpro 
  cnKnlnrp 
  T 
  pa 
  

  

  X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

  

  

  2 
  Goniobasislivescens(Menke) 
  

  

  3 
  G. 
  livescensniagarensis(Lea) 
  

  

  4 
  G. 
  haldemani 
  Tryon 
  

  

  5 
  Amnicola 
  limosa 
  (Say) 
  

  

  6 
  A 
  lets 
  on 
  t 
  Walker 
  

  

  X 
  

  

  X 
  

  

  X 
  

  

  X 
  

  

  X 
  

  

  .... 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  X 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  7 
  Bythinella 
  obtusa 
  (Lea) 
  

  

  8 
  Pomatiopsis 
  lapidaria 
  (Say). 
  

  

  9 
  Valvata 
  tricarinata 
  Say 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  X 
  

  

  X 
  

  

  X 
  

  

  X 
  

   X 
  

  

  

  X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  1 
  1 
  Campeloma 
  decisa 
  Say 
  

  

  12 
  Limnaea 
  columella 
  Say 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  X 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

  

  X 
  

  

  X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

   X 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  15 
  Physa 
  heterostropha 
  Say 
  

  

  16 
  Planorbis 
  bicarinatus 
  Say... 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  a 
  Lime 
  lake. 
  

  

  b 
  Chippewa 
  creek, 
  

  

  c 
  Living, 
  but 
  not 
  within 
  a 
  radius 
  of 
  50 
  miles. 
  

  

  'I 
  wish 
  to 
  acknowledge 
  here 
  my 
  obligations 
  to 
  Prof. 
  Henry 
  A. 
  Pilsbry, 
  

   Mr 
  Bryant 
  Walker 
  and 
  Dr 
  V. 
  Sterki, 
  for 
  valuable 
  assistance 
  and 
  advice 
  

   given 
  in 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  this 
  chapter. 
  

  

  ^See 
  also 
  Chapter 
  2, 
  Goat 
  island 
  gravels. 
  

  

  