56 W. W. Dodge — Localities of Fossils in Massachusetts. 



Art. VIII. — Some Localities of Post-Tertiary and Tertiary 

 Fossils in Massachusetts ; by W. W. Dodge. 



In 1851, Mr. William Stimpson described an occurrence of 

 fossils at Point Shirley, on the north side of Boston harbor. 

 A list of species was given, and it was noted that the most 

 common of the fossils were deep water and northern forms.* 



^Sot quite a mile north of the hill which appears to have 

 been referred to, stands Winthrop Head, a hill about 105 feet 

 high, as determined by the Coast Survey. It seems to have had 

 formerly an oval base with its longer diameter directed a little 

 north of west and south of east, but has lost nearly half its 

 mass owing to the action of the sea at its eastern foot. Its 

 southern slope is somewhat steeper than the northern. It has 

 been mentioned as one of the lenticular hills of the vicinity, 

 — a mistake easily made, for much of that portion of the 

 material of the hill formerly exposed is hard, compact, blue 

 clay with little indication of bedding. 



About five years ago a railroad was built around the eastern 

 foot of the Head, and the excavations required to make room 

 for it above tide-level gave a vertical exposure of some feet in 

 thickness of the lower strata composing the hill. 



The lowest bed cut into (exposed to a little below the rail- 

 road grade), was somewhat arched, and consisted of loose, 

 clean, rather fine gravel filled with small fragments of shells. 

 Venus mercenaria and Cwrdium IslandicwmQ.) were the only 

 shells identifiable with any reasonable degree of certainty 

 among the fragments. 



Above this gravel or sand, succeeded a hard, clayey gravel 

 containing larger fragments. Venus mercenaria and My a 

 arenaria were most abundantly represented. Single speci- 

 mens of Cardita oorealis. Tapes fluctuosa (?) and a small gas- 

 teropod somewhat resembling Lacuna, neritoidea completed 

 the list of fossils observed during a short stay at the spot. 

 This notice of the locality has been delayed from year to year 

 in the hope of adding to the enumeration. 



Higher up on the bluff, the stratification in the hard, blue 

 clay soon becomes completely obscured, but bits of shell may 

 be seen embedded here and there in places where running water 

 furrows the slope and leaves projecting ridges of material 

 undisturbed in position. Above the blue clay, red gravel forms 

 the upper portion of the hill. 



Most of the thirteen species named by Mr. Stimpson as 

 occurring at Point Shirley have also been found as fossils else- 



* Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History, vol. iv, p. 9. 



