and the Mudlumps of the Missis'uppi 24H 



representing the important clay s tr it I (of 34 32^ 30 uhI lo' 

 feet respectively), were missing ; but i^ imud^ tlit u-t 1 m 

 number, I found almost all derivtd from a lower lc\(.] tli m ^1 

 /eef, either characterized by marmt oigimzitions (bhclN ( orals 

 or foraminifera), or of such a chai icter Jb, b> then obMou'^con 

 aection with the others, to put them m the =?imc categor\ 

 although devoid of fossils. I cannot omit to mention m this 

 connection, the extraordinar}^ scdrcit\ of nnnno <nLnni«m» i" 

 some of the specimens brought up m soundm. iii >» tn I / 

 the bars of the Mississippi passeb , the in pi ^ nr 

 even after concentration by wash mg lii\iii_ t n'l It m 

 to light anything but minute fiagmtnt- o> ^\lHHl i i 

 other vegetable fibers, and remnants of Muuuli 1 

 specunens had, it is true, been obt imed during i pt iiml . i _ 

 water; and others, collected at correspondinix point- i 

 different season, showed abundance of foraminiftr m I i n 

 ■ ;ible shells. But in view of these facts, il j- .pi i 



telligible how in an estuarian formatioi , 

 of the continental waters, many portions mav \\\\^ Knuim I 

 destitute of any vestige of marine life, thousrh perli ip-^ .K po iti 1 

 in strongly brackish water ; while am shckening in tiu i tt ot 

 depression would promptly cause a prtdoimu uicl of tlu t . -h 

 over the salt water, a stagnation, and coii-( ^\\\^ ut (K ji )-itinii of 

 cIbjs; which would be nearly or quitt fm fi.nn \<-tiL. - of 

 marine hfe. Such is the case in some of tlu I. \\ l1 u -,). cmi( ii> 

 from this bore, which I have had the oppoitun t\ oi . \ nnin 

 jng; but others I have found to (Oiitiin iv>t onh t v imiii'iua 

 but abundance of shells. In th( ( 1 u <>(.( niiiiig it the tru tt^^^t 

 depthreached— 680 feet— Mr. Point ik- 1 jHTt. m ihun ' ince 

 of foraminifera. 



The specimens from the sev€ial bcd> contamul iltogcthe 

 about 50 species of mollusks, of \\hich 40 wcie m sucli a eon 

 dition as to be determinable with cert iint^ Ot the-e, 36 ^^ ere 

 species now living in the Gulf, and 4 were ncu 



The latter (belonging to the geneia Cardum, ihra .Semele 

 and Tapes) I submitted to Mr. Coniad foi deteimm ition md 

 description. He remarks that whik the\ (one of them e-pe 

 ciallv) seem to be rather of Mioc( ne tvpe and not kniwn to be 

 now living in the Gulf of Mexico ^et our kno^^ ledge of tlie 

 ^=^una of the latter is so imperfect thu. far, that it cannot b. i^ 

 ■^^^rted that the species are not now inhabitants of the Gult 



,. f vi^"^^^« ^lie distribution of the species, there is no mate- 

 ria difference from the highest to the lowest level, the leading 

 2^ predominant species being everywhere about the same and 

 coinciding in a marked manner with the fauna collected by 

 '^^self on the beach of Ship Island in the MLssissippi Sound; 



