314 F\ REPORT OF PROGRESS. E. W. CLAYPOLE. 



beds also are very solid, esi)ecially toward the middle, grow- 

 ing thinner and more shaly at base and summit. 



The fossil bed so characteristic of the Hamilton sand- 

 stone, is exposed near the signal-box at the junction. This 

 is the only section where I have been able to measure its 

 distance from the base of the sandstone ; a distance of 360 

 feet ; ])lacing the fossil bed a little below the middle ; an 

 horizon which it appears to occupy generally, though the 

 figures probably vary with the varying thickness of the 

 sandstone. 



It is worthy of remark that the top of Little mountain, 

 near this section at Marysville, yields a Bensselceria (or 

 Rensselaerioid brachiopod) which I am unable to distin- 

 guish from Hall's R. Marylandica. I have found it at 

 several places along this range, but this locality is specially 

 valuable because the Oriskany sandstone does not occur 

 within ten or twelve miles of the locality, therefore there 

 can be no doubt of the rock in which the shell occurs. 



The Hamilton fossil ore. 



An outcrop of the Hamilron fossil ore occurs in its usual 

 position along the northern slope of Little mountain on the 

 top of the Hamilton sandstone. It is of good thickness, 

 measuring in the gangway at the end of a tunnel recently 

 driven by Messrs. Seidel about 28 inches. The ore was first 

 discovered at Lamb's gap about four miles west from Ma- 

 rysville and has since been followed almost to the river. 

 There is no reason to doubt its continuity westward through 

 the township along the north flank of Little mountain, but 

 at present prices and with present means of carriage there 

 would be little or no profit in digging it. 



An analysis of the ore from Mr. Seidel' s land taken from 

 an old opening was made some years ago with the follow- 

 ing result (see M 3 ): 



Metallic iron, 25.5 



Sulphur, 0U 



Phosphorus 267 



Siliceous matter, 45.220 



These figures show a low percentage of iron and much 



., 



