W. B. DWIGHT. 143 



My own explorations in the limestones have been con- 

 tinued, as far as my other engagements would permit, 

 without any intermission, to the present time. The re- 

 sults have been, not simply the increase in the number 

 of specimens of the species obtained at the time of the 

 last rexDort, but a very material increase in the number 

 of species and also in the area of fossiliferous rock above 

 that previously discovered. The large collection of fos- 

 sils thus brought together is of unusual value, for the 

 reason that there is nowhere any known collection of 

 similar species. But the peculiarly imperfect, fragment- 

 ary and obscure condition of the specimens makes the 

 work of their study and classification extremely difficult. 

 I speak advisedly when I say that such a task is ex- 

 tremely rare in paleontology. It is doubtful whether 

 there ever has been another instance where so many 

 hundreds of fossils, representing two formations and at 

 the very least over sixty species, many unknown else- 

 w T here, have presented themselves in such fragmentary, 

 metamorphosed and obscure forms.. 



The case is one much beyond the ordinary requirements 

 of paleontological study. Among the countless numbers 

 of specimens visible in the ledges, I have never yet found 

 a single one weathered out more or less entire, detached, 

 and fallen to the ground, as we commonly find them in 

 geological localities. All are more or less imbedded and 

 amalgamated with the surrounding rock ; all have some 

 of their important features altered or obliterated by a 

 partial metamorphic alteration of the rock. In the case 

 of the orthoceratites, in particular, the mode of presen- 

 tation of the specimen, in the majority of cases, is very 

 embarrassing. It consists usually of a plane longi- 

 tudinal section of the orthoceratite, in the accidental 

 position caused by the natural abrasion and weathering 

 of the rock, while it is not in many cases possible by use 

 of hammer and chisel to develop any more of the shell. 



95 



