436 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



known in geologic literature as the Goniatite limestone, or, em- 

 ploying the designation derived from the characteristic fossil of 

 the rock, the Agoniatites limestone. These beds are most fully de- 

 veloped in the eastward counties of the state and gradually lose 

 their individuality westward, disappearing just west of Seneca 

 lake. While this limestone is absent in the western counties, 

 another appears at a higher horizon in the shales and carries an 

 altogether distinct series of fossils. To this limestone I applied 

 some years ago the geographic name of Stafford limestone. We 

 find in sections at the very base of the Marcellus sediments, spe- 

 cially in western New York, still a third impure calcareous de- 

 posit which was shown in the section of the Livonia salt shaft 

 and recently has been exposed at Stony point south of Buffalo 

 on Lake Erie. This also has a fauna peculiar to itself in many 

 respects. Thus we have represented in this period of deposition 

 several quite distinct faunal associations, and they have raised 

 the interesting question as to how and whence these faunas 

 have come into our state. The investigation of this proposition 

 has been in a large measure a summarization of observations 

 made by the paleontologist during the past years, but, in bring- 

 ing these together for formal expression, much assistance 

 has been received from Prin. John D. Wilson of Syracuse, who 

 for some years past has been a diligent student of and collector 

 from the Agoniatites limestone as exposed in Onondaga county 

 and in his work has made some interesting contributions to our 

 knowledge of the fauna of these layers. Some field operations 

 in this connection have also been prosecuted in Schoharie and 

 Otsego counties with interesting results, as detailed in a paper 

 on this topic, communicated in museum bulletin 49, which is 

 also accompanied by an account of the section of the Marcellus 

 limestones as exposed at Lancaster, Erie co., by Miss Elvira 

 Wood, instructor in paleontology in the Massachusetts institute 

 of technology, an investigation which the author has executed 

 with care and exactitude. 



Character of the so called Hudson river beds of the northern 

 Hudson valley. In continuation of the study of the nature and 

 composition of the formation which has been known in geologic 



