22 



GEOLOGY OF ERIE COUNTY 



At its base it rests directly upon the Stafford limestone. Its 

 lowest beds contain limestone layers. Its uppermost layers merge 

 insensibly into the Skaneateles shale, and no line of demarcation 

 can be set down between them. Ljthologically the two are 

 identical. Dr. Grabau describes a hard layer containing 

 Pteropods as the upper layer of the Cardiff. Regarding the 

 division between the Cardiff and the Skaneateles, Hall says : 

 (Geolog. 4th Dist. p. 177.) 



F. Houghton, Photo. 

 Fig. 7. Cardiff shale, Cazenovia creek, Gardenville. 



' 'For practical purposes there is little advantage in separat- 

 ing the upper division of this shale from the Hamilton group. 

 The line of separation is nowhere well marked, the change in 

 lithological character being gradual, while some of the fossils 

 continue down from one to the other." The "upper division" 

 spoken of is the Cardiff. 



The Cardiff shale is exposed in the lake cliffs at Bay View. 

 In the bed of Cazenovia creek below the bridge on Cazenovia 

 Street its lower beds are to be seen, and at and above the bridge 

 on the brick road in West Seneca its upper beds make a long 

 rapid. Its upper beds, with the Pteropod layer which Grabau 



