THE GEOLOGY OF THE SYRACUSE QUADRANGLE ^7 



NOTES ON THE FOSSILS OF THE PALEOZOIC FORMA- 

 TIONS WITHIN THE SYRACUSE QUADRANGLE 



BY BURNETT SMITH 



From the standpoint of the collector, the local Paleozoic forma- 

 tions fall naturally into three classes — the readily accessible and 

 highly fossiliferous Devonic and late Siluric strata, the accessible 

 though nearly barren beds of Midsiluric age, and the drift-covered 

 but sometimes prolific rocks of the earlier Siluric. The first group 

 is finely displayed in the hills southeast and southwest of the city of 

 Syracuse, that is, in the southern portion of the quadrangle. The 

 second group of almost unfossiliferous strata is well exposed in and 

 about the city itself and in a belt which passes across the quadrangle 

 both east and west of the city. The rocks of the third group occupy 

 the low drift-mantled area which lies north of Syracuse and extends 

 to the northern limits of the quadrangle. Throughout this last area 

 the Paleozoic strata are rarely exposed by the erosive processes and 

 we are therefore almost wholly dependent upon excavations for such 

 meager knowledge as we possess. 



FOSSILS FROM THE NIAGARAN FORMATIONS 



At one locality on the Syracuse quadrangle and at two localities 

 on the adjoining Baldwinsville quadrangle, excavations for the 

 barge canal have brought to light identifiable fossils. Those from 

 Brewerton (Syracuse quadrangle) occur in an olive shale or in 

 concretionary limy masses in the shale and have been obtained in 

 deepening the channel of the Oneida river. At Phoenix (Baldwins- 

 ville quadrangle) there is likewise an olive shale quite similar to 

 that from Brewerton and here it has been possible to collect from 

 the rock in place. The third locality, situated between Phoenix and 

 Brewerton, has furnished a few fossils from a calcareous shale 

 which is harder and of a more grayish tint. 



At Phoenix we are apparently dealing with a homogeneous fauna 

 from a single formational unit, but at the other two localities (more 

 especially at Brewerton) it is highly probable that the excavations 

 have penetrated more than one fossiliferous horizon. 



The chief interest attaching to these strata is the question of 

 their equivalency with either the Rochester shale or with some 

 member of the Clinton group. Though the few fossils so far 

 determined are hardly sufficient to solve this problem, it is deemed 



