24 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



For the rest of the week this work continued, although spasmodi- 

 cally, because rainy weather set in. Each time it rained, the sections 

 would have to be covered to protect them ; otherwise they would have 

 washed out. At times it was a matter of conjecture as to whether 

 the Museum or the rain would get the specimens. However, by 

 Saturday, the sections had been secured in wooden frames and a 

 heartfelt sigh of relief went up. The following days were devoted 

 to plastering a heavy protective coat over the faces and bottoms of 

 the sections. When the plaster had set, wooden covers and bottoms 

 were nailed to the frames for final reenforcement. 



On July 25. encasement of the sections being completed, the task 

 of conveying them safely to the Museum was begun. The sections 

 were first slid from their place in the bluff to rowboats waiting on 

 the beach to take them to the landing at Scientists Cliffs. They were 

 then carried up the stairs to the top of the bluff and loaded on a 

 Museum truck for transportation to Washington. 



The sea urchin {Ecliinocardium orthonotum) found at this locality, 

 until now has been rather rare. It was first described in 1843 by 

 Conrad in the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of 

 Philadelphia, volume 1, page 327. A figured specimen by Forbes is 

 illustrated in the Maryland Geological Survey Miocene Text and was 

 obtained by Lyell. Both specimens were found near Coggin's Point 

 on the James River, Va., and came from the Choptank formation of 

 the Miocene. Those at Scientists Cliffs likewise come from the Chop- 

 tank formation and may well be the first Maryland record. It has 

 been learned that the diggings which Dr. Foshag found, and which 

 were subsequently worked by the Museum, were discovered and 

 made by Miss Lois M. Schoonover of Bryn Mawr College. She found 

 the first specimen during the summer of 1938 and returned in Novem- 

 ber of the same year and obtained many perfect specimens. 



Sea urchins (echinoids), which belong to the great phylum Echino- 

 derma, occur sparingly in all formations from the early Paleozoic 

 deposits to the youngest. Many sea urchins from the Cretaceous for- 

 mations were dug out by the ice during the Glacial Epoch and scat- 

 tered over the countries of northern Europe, where they played a 

 great part in the superstitions of ancient times. As they were sup- 

 posed to have fallen from heaven with the thunder, they were be- 

 lieved to provide protection against thunder and indeed prehistoric 

 man used them as amulets. 



The preparation of the slab, now under way, is revealing many 

 excellent entire specimens and will result without doubt in a very 

 unusual and instructive museum exhibit. 



