T. H. Aldrich — Tertiary of Alabama. 305 



tions of the whole Tertiary. Their report is now in course of 

 publication by the National Survey. 



Having personally collected, in company with Dr. Smith this 

 summer, in nearly every bed known below this (Wood's bluff), 

 horizon, I can testify that no evidence of much value can be 

 obtained from the fossils. The Vicksburg and Jackson have 

 not been found down 710 feet below Claiborne as the above 

 sections will testify; if they are below this, then Dr. Meyer has 

 got to sandwich in between Claiborne and Jackson the whole 

 of the Buhr-stone formation. This formation is found only in 

 the N.E. of Mississippi, a long distance from the position of the 

 two groups mentioned. 



Dr. Meyer is equally unfortunate in his quotations from au- 

 thorities. I review as follows : 



1833. Conrad, Spondylus dumosus Mort. is here spoken of as 

 a stumbling block in Conrad's way and especially to Lyell. 

 We have lately found it at Hatchitigbee bluff. 25 feet beneath 

 the buhr-stone. 



1834. Observations, etc., Conrad. In this section Conrad 

 distinctly states that he saw only the " White Limestone " and 

 the " Bluish Limestone," Nos. 7 and 8 of his section near Clai- 

 borne, and probably made his erroneous determination from the 

 fact, as stated by Lyell, that the Claiborne beds are worn away 

 largely in places and have been replaced by the " White Lime- 

 stone." If Conrad had made a trip to Perdue Hill at the time 

 of his visit the error would not have been made. 



March, 1846. Lyell's general statements are correct and 

 proved by all subsequent observers to have been very care- 

 fully made. 



1850. M. Tuomey, 1st Biennial Eept. of the Greol. of Ala. 

 Dr. Meyer quotes Tuomey as follows, p. 149 : " Sir Chas. Lyell 

 has proved that the White Limestone is newer than the fossil - 

 iferous bed. at Claiborne by showing that this bed which con- 

 tains identical fossils underlies the bluff at St. Stephens. This 

 is certainly the case, for although this bed is not seen at the 

 base of the bluff it is overlaid, as I have just stated, by a yel- 

 low limestone which is a prolongation of that at St. Stephens." 



By a juxtaposition of sentences Dr. Meyer evidently proves 

 satisfactorily to himself " that Lyell's Claibornian bed at the base 

 of St. Stephens bluff according to his (Lyell's) determination 

 need not be Claibornian, but that it is also not at the base of 

 St. Stephens bluff." Having personally examined this expo- 

 sure within the past month in company with Professor Smith, 

 State Geologist of Alabama, I consider that Lyell's statement 

 is correct. The same bluff that is at St. Stephens is over the 

 Claiborne sand bed at the point Tuomey speaks of. A rough 

 section taken at this place, which was hurriedly done owing to a 

 heavy shower at the time of our visit, is as follows : 



