FIELD INVESTIGATIONS IN 1 92 1 835 



specimens of the same coral were founcl. With the coral and procured 

 out of the same bed occurs a low-based Agassizocrinus and Pentremites 

 gemmiformis, both species so far observed only in Paint Creek beds in 

 Eandolph and Monroe counties in Illinois and in shaly middle beds of 

 the Gasper in Kentucky; also three other as yet unnamed varieties of 

 Pentremites, two of them the same as forms found with the Amplexus 

 in Union County, the third a near relative of an Upper Ohara species to 

 which I gave the name Pentremites ovoicles. Finally, and disregarding 

 the usual association of regular Gasper fossils that make up fully half of 

 the faunal list collected at this spot near Russellville, the collection in- 

 cludes dorsal cups of two species of Talarocrinus that agree precisely 

 with specimens found in association with the Amplexus geniculatus at 

 four of the localities in Union County. To make the correlation reason- 

 ably conclusive, there remains to be added only that at Eussellville, 

 according to Mr. Butts' section, the part of the Gasper which overlies the 

 lower Gasper and the shaly beds from which the fauna just discussed was 

 collected is thicker by about 30 feet than in any other section measured 

 in Kentucky. 



In this manner and by such apparently incontrovertible faunal and 

 stratigraphic evidence we establish the fact that Amplexus geniculatus 

 is not confined to the Upper Ohara, but reappears in at least higher zones 

 in Union County, Illinois, and in a definitely recognized Middle Gasper 

 position in Kentucky. 



On the whole, then, the evidence of the fossils collected from these 

 doubtful limestones in Union County favor their reference to the age 

 of the Paint Creek formation and to that of the Middle Gasper quite 

 as much or more than to the age of the Renault. Compared with Upper 

 Ohara faunas, which it should be remembered Weller correlates in part 

 at least with the Eenault, this fauna is positively younger. 



Regarding the age of the overlying 5-foot sandstone which I am in- 

 formed is correlated by Weller with the Yankeetown of the Mississippi 

 Valley section and with the Bethel sandstone of Hardin County and 

 western Kentucky, I feel certain only that it does not correspond in 

 position to either the Yankeetown or the Bethel. If Butts and I are 

 right in correlating the Renault with the Lower Gasper, a view apparently 

 shared also by Weller, 18 then this 5-foot sandstone can not be the attenu- 

 ated Bethel, for that sandstone positively underlies the Lower Gasper in 

 Caldwell and Christian counties, Kentucky. Xor can it pass into the 

 Yankeetown if the 60 feet of limestone and shale beneath it belono- as 



'o; 



Hardin County Report, p. 175. 



