116 W. Ml Fontaine — Vespertine Strata of Virginia. 



strata have suffered much from erosion, and show only the 

 lower and middle members. It is however by no means certain 

 that the upper member of red shales was ever present. The 

 increase in the coarseness and amount of the sandstones under- 

 lying the coal strata seems rather to indicate its former absence. 

 No limestone appears here. 



I did not make a complete section at this point of the strata 

 supposed to represent the Catskill. Enough however was seen 

 to show that red shales appear here at the same horizon as at 

 Lewis Tunnel, but the amount is not so great, and they are 

 now changed to red argillaceous flags. The upper members 

 here are somewhat massive liver-colored sandstones, which 

 graduate upward into the white sandstones of the lower Vesper- 

 tine. The Catskill? strata seem to be considerably thicker in 

 this region than at Lewis Tunnel. 



The sandstones of the lower member of the Vespertine cannot 

 be separated by any distinct dividing line from the above men- 

 tioned rocks. But, assuming for their base the strata which do 

 not show a predominance of the red color, they show a thick- 

 ness of about 400 feet. All are highly siliceous, and lie in pretty 

 massive beds. No dividing line can be drawn in this mass of 

 rock, but a gradual change may be traced. At the base it is 

 brownish gray, then kite, passing near the 



top into gray" flags. The white portion is about 200 feet thick, 

 being mainly a mu-Mvt- quartzite, but showing in the lower 

 portion some conglomerate bands. Over the above mentioned 

 rocks are about 40 feet of gray flags, in the top of which is the 

 lowest coal bed. This stratum may be taken as the lower por- 

 tion of the middle member. The following is the section from 

 the lowest coal ascending to the highest : 



1. Black siliceous shales, (floor). 6. Black siliceous shale, 4 feet. 



2. Coal, 18 inches. 7. Sandstone, 1 foot. 



3. Argillaceous sandstone, 4 feet. 8. Black shale, 5 feet. 



4. Black siliceous shale, 6 inches. 9. Coal, 2-2£ feet. 



5. Sandstone, 8 inches. 10. Black siliceous shale, 12 ft. 

 No. 2 is very impure, and where it is best has several part- 

 ings of shale. It is very variable in the amount of coal, and 

 often runs almost entirely into shale. No. 6 has some thin 

 strings of coal, as is the case with No. 8. No. 9 is the most 

 constant bed, and has the largest amount of clear coal. In the 

 top of No. 10 a few thin strings of coal sometimes occur. 



The remaining rocks above No. 10 are gray and bluish gr»J 

 sandy shales, showing in some places abundant plant impres- 

 sions. The exposures are too poor to allow any approximation 

 to their thickness. 



The coal here is a true anthracite, of pretty good quality. 

 Attempts have been made, from time to time, to work it, but 



