

In his letter Prof. Meek adds : " From these fossils, it is 

 clearly evident that the limestone, from which they were ob- 

 tained, belongs, as you had supposed, to the horizon of the 

 Lower Carboniferous limestone series of the Western States 

 They also show that it does not belong to any of the inferior 

 members of that series. 



Of the 18 or 20 species of fossils sent from this rock, about 

 one half are represented in the collection only by specimens 

 that are too imperfect for specific identification ; though none 

 of them, so far as their characters can be made out, appear to 

 be allied to known forms fi-om any horizon below the St. Louis 

 limestone. 



Of the remaining species, five can be identified confidently 

 with Chester forms, and three others are either identical witli 

 Chester species, or most closely allied to forms of that age. 

 Hence we may safely say that eight of the species are Chests 

 types. Two, however, seem to be identical with species de- 

 scribed from the St. Louis limestone farther west 



From these facts I can scarcely doubt that we have in these 

 local masses of limestone a representation of the Chester group 

 of the Lower Carboniferous limestone series ; though it is pos- 

 sible that there may also be some representation of the St. Loins 

 limestone of the same series at some of the outcrops. * * 



The discovery of these beds is, I believe, the first indication 

 we have had of the existence of any member of the Lo^er 

 Carboniferous liTnestone series of the West in Ohio. They also 

 seem to show that the old Carboniferous sea did not extend to 

 this region during the deposition of any but the later members 

 of the lower limestone series, although we know it had done so 

 previously, that is, during the older Waverly period." 



The largest and best development of the Maxville limestone 

 is in Muskingum county, in the vicinity of Newtonville, wnere 

 it is from 15 to 20 feet thick. Although here within the geo- 

 graphical limits of the productive coal-measures, it is yeu 

 exposed m the deep valleys of Jonathan's creek and otner 

 tributaries of the Moxahala creek. It is also found in Pe"7; 

 Hocking, Vinton, Jackson and Scioto counties. 



A single analysis of the stone showed it to be a double car- 

 bonate of lime and magnesia. 



