26 W. M. Fontaine—Mesozoie Strata of Virginia. 
of the several Mesozoic areas, but as the relations of some of 
these do not seem to be understood, it will be necessary for me 
to give here some of these features with explanations. It will 
be understood, as was shown by Professor Rogers, that in Vir- 
ginia the Cretaceous, if it exists, does not appear to view, hence 
the term Mesozoic includes only strata older than Cretaceous. 
In Virginia the Jurassic forms the youngest Mesozoic, and is 
The several Mesozoic Belts. —The largest and most important 
Mesozoic tae is that which enters the State from Maryland, 
west of shington, being the continuation of the tract so — 
cargely developed in New cs ersey. For the sake of tininaticn , 
it may be called the New Jersey Belt. It has all the features — 
seen a its exposures farther north, and I have no reason to | 
doubt its being of Triassic age. So. far as can be ascertained © 
from the scanty attainable evidence, it is in part, the oldest of — 
the Virginia Mesozoic. It extends unbroken to the Rapidan — 
River in Orange County, and has to the south, a few net dis- 
tant, a small outlier now separated from it owing to erosion. 
A second narrow belt, a mere remnant which has ait ero- 
sion, is found on James River, i in the northern part of Buckingham ~ 
County. This is now widely separated from the preceding — 
a but possibly, though not probably, it once formed a part — 
f it. y be called the Buckingham Belt. A third © 
narrow belt extends from the North Garhi: border, near the — 
Dan River, in a northeast direction through Pittsylvania into — 
Campbell County. It has a width of four to eight miles, and — 
a length of about thirty miles.) Though now separated by a — 
narrow interval from the Dan River Coal Field in North — 
Carolina, it no doubt was once connected with it. This may — 
be called the Pitisylvania Belt. : 
A fourth narrow belt extends northeast from Prince Edward 
into Cumberland County. It contains in its southern extremity — 
a coal bed which is rie locally, and is the only belt except — 
the Richmond Coal Field which contains any coal. This may — 
be called the Prince Baward Belt. All of these four belts have — 
to. have: been by narrow arms o r inlets. ae ‘ 
in very ste cases these belts, aid “the eabhening Azoic rocks, — 
have all been planed down to a uniform level. These four — 
belts may be grouped as interior belts. ‘ 
Passing to the east we find a fifth belt, nearly enclosed by — 
Azoic rocks, but at its northern end touching later forma: — 
tions. This, which we may call the Richmond Belt, begins 4 — 
