•506 GEOLOGY OF OHIO. 



of the so-called L,ime creek beds of Iowa, which latter were, however,, 

 referred by Professor Hall to the Chemung and by Western geologists to- 

 the Hamilton. The general conclusions are thus referred. "The Kinder- 

 hook, well-developed in the interior of the continent, is represented by a. 

 thin wedge at the base of the Chemung period of New York; that the 

 upper Chemung fauna probably did not extend far west of New York 

 state, but if it does appear farther west, it should be looked for in the 

 upper part of, or above the Kinderhook group." 



In a subsequent number of the American Journal, Professor Calvin 1 

 discusses these statements, and, while admitting the equivalence of the 

 High Point and Lime Creek faunas, shows clearly that neither is legiti- 

 mately comparable with the Kinderhook of the West. He says, "Not a 

 single species of the Lime Creek fauna has yet been recognized in all the 

 Kinderhook of Missouri, Indiana and Illinois." The generic assemblage 

 is also entirely distinct. This discussion is referred to for the reason 

 that it seems to indicate that in New York, as well as the western states, 

 there are instances of the apparent interpolation of lower strata in higher. 

 If the High Point fauna prove to be Hamilton or Helderberg, the case is- 

 similar to the Bedford fauna in Northern Ohio. 



We may next take up in order the several horizons with such help as 

 can be gained from paleontology and stratigraphy. 



The Erie Shale. 



Dr. Newberr}'- has apparently never recognized the necessity of com- 

 bining the Cleveland, Erie and Huron shales as the Ohio Black Shales., 

 The Huron he regards as the representative of everything in New York,, 

 from the Gardeau shale to the Marcellus, inclusive, finding in it in central 

 and western Ohio, fossils of the Portage, the Genessee, and the Marcellus 

 shales, viz: Goniatites complanatus, Leiorh\mcJms quadricostatus, Lingula 

 spatulata, Discina lodensis, Lumdicardhim fragile, Styliola jisszirella, and 

 Leiorhynchus limitaris. 



If Professor Orton's suggestion that the Cleveland forms "the larger 

 half of the great black shale of southern Ohio" be correct, many of 

 these forms may be derived from that horizon. However this may be, 

 we are treated to a complication quite as perplexing in the fauna of the 

 next group. 



The Bedford Shale. 



This so-called "chocolate shale" has long been regarded as the base of 

 the Waverh 7 . The shales vary greatty in color and habitus, but as Pro- 

 fessor Orton saj'S "there is not a stratum in our geological column that 

 can be followed across the State in more easily demonstrated identity 

 than this." The description given by this author in volume VI of the Ohio 



1 On the Fauna found at Lime Creek, Iowa, and its relations to other Geological 

 Faunas. American Journal of Science, June, 1S83. 



