Maryland Geological Survey 6i 



to that of the Marcellus shales in ]^e\v York. Tlie lithoh)gic character 

 of the shale both before and after weatliering agrees perfectly with much 

 of the New York Marcellus. The con'elation of these black fissile shales 

 with the Marcellus shale of New York appears to the writer very probable ; 

 a conclusion which is supported by various other sections in the lower part 

 of the Romney formation in Allegany and Washington counties as well as 

 in the typical region of the formation near Eomney, West Virginia, 

 which was carefully examined in connection with this work. 



Succeeding the fine black shalas are rather coarser ones changing to 

 thin sandstones or very arenaceous shales. Some of the shales in this 

 zone are very thin and argillaceous and weather to a rusty color like 

 the Marcellus. Other layers are more arenaceous, and vary to thin 

 yellowish-green sandstones in which scarcely any fossils were found. At 

 one place they form a sandstone stratum several feet in thickness composed 

 of fairly thick layers. Fossils occur but infrequently in the lower part of 

 this zone ; but increase in abundance in the higher rocks. The following 

 species were collected in this part of the cut : Lingula clarki Prosser, 

 Stropheodonta sp., Chonetes mucronatus Hall, Clionetes scitulns Hall, 

 Chonetes setigcr (Hall), Cliurhdcs lepidus Hall, Camarotoechia pro- 

 liftca Hall (imperfect specimen), Liorliyiichus sp., Tropidoleptus cari- 

 natus (Conrad) (very abundant in thin layers of these shales), Spirifer 

 mucronattis (Conrad), Nucula hellistriata (Conrad), Nuculites triqueter 

 Conrad, Leda rostellata (Conrad), Cimitaria (?) sp., Pleurotomaria 

 sp. (apex of a specimen, internal impression), Bellerophon sp. 



This zone shows the transition from the Marcellus to the Hamilton 

 shales and it will be seen that there is not a sharp line of division between 

 them but a gradual change from the fissile black shales of the Marcellus 

 containing Liorhijnclius limitare (Vanuxein) to the bluish, coarser and 

 fairly arenaceous shales which contain abundant specimens of some of the 

 characteristic Hamilton species. This fauna is especially well preserved 

 in the next higher zone near the northern end of tlie cut where the fine 

 shales are so badly crumpled that no attempt was made to estimate tlieir 

 thickness although it would be interesting if this could be accurately 

 determined. At the northern end of the cut are rather thin bluish shales, 

 weathering to a rusty color, which contain numerous fossils. In thicker, 



