﻿I. P. Bishop — Fossiliferous Limestones in Chatham, iV. Y. 439 



phic limestone on the western border of the Taconic slates in 

 Columbia Co., N. Y., although my investigations are not yet 

 completed. 



The limestone is in the town of Chatham, just west of Canaan, 

 and in that of Ghent, the town next south. It has along its 

 eastern side the hydromica schist of the western Taconic belt of 

 Emmons, the same that adjoins the Canaan fossiliferous lime- 

 stone on its west side,* and the interval of slate between the two- 

 limestones is only six miles. 



The limestone, or rather its eastern belt, outcrops at intervals 

 from Chatham village on the southern border of the town, in a 

 north-northeasterly direction, to the northeast corner of the 

 town, and also south-southwesterly to Pulver's station, in the 

 town of Ghent, following throughout nearly the course of the 

 New York, Eutland & Montreal railroad. 



A small exposure occurs at Chatham village in the bed of 

 the Steine Kill, just below the trestle of the New York, Eut- 

 land and Montreal R. R.; again, two miles farther north at the 

 railroad crossing, and thence along the track as far as "Black 

 Rock Cut;" from there it lies to the east of the track at an 

 average distance of a third of a mile, until near Rayville, 

 when it crosses to the west and continues on that side nearly to 

 Brainard's Station. South of Chatham it lies on both sides of 

 the Hudson and Chatham R. R. as far as Pulver's Station. I 

 have not had the opportunity to follow out its extension farther 

 in either direction, but have no doubt that it can be traced 

 much beyond these limits. 



On the east side this limestone lies directly against the hydro- 

 mica schist, and has the same northeasterly strike and south- 

 easterly dip as the latter. The width of its exposure varies 

 from a few feet to nearly a mile. 



From Ghent northward, for about six miles, the limestone is 

 bounded on the west by a belt of black, green, and red shales, 

 having the same dip and strike. These shales contain fucoids 

 and numerous graptolites, of species found in the Hudson River 

 shales, together with two or more new species of brachiopods 

 of the genus Linguhps. Parallel to this, and still farther west, 

 lies a coarse gray sandstone of the upper part of the Hudson. 

 This sandstone extends from Chatham village nearly to North 

 Chatham. It is a mile wide at the former place and tapers to 

 a thin strip south of the latter. Shales surround this on all 

 sides. 



Six miles to the west of Chatham there is another limestone 

 belt with the same lithological characteristics, but having a 

 general northwesterly strike. It extends from Ghent to Kin- 

 derhook Lake, where it appears to blend with the western belt, 



* This Journal, xxxi, 1886, pp. 241 and 248. 



