8 CRETACEOUS AND TERTIARY FISH. 



southeast, the basal beds having the steeper inclination. The 

 known fauna is very limited, consisting of a few pelecypods, 

 some of which are blackish-water types, while two are typically 

 marine, a plesiosaurian bone, and possibly an insect. Its flora 

 embraces a wide range of genera and species, especially of 

 dicotyledons, many of which are closely related to modern forms. 

 It has been regarded by Ward as late Lower Cretaceous, and, 

 therefore, approximately equivalent to the Gault of England 

 and the Albian of continental Europe. 1 . Berry, however, has 

 recently presented the paleobotanical evidence for its Cenomanian 

 age. 2 



Magothy formation-. — The lignitic sands and clays referred to 

 the Magothy formation, and regarded as the lowermost of the 

 Upper Cretaceous formations, were until recently included in the 

 Raritan. On the shores of Raritan Bay they attain a thickness 

 of about 50 feet, but diminish to the southwest and along Dela- 

 ware River are only 25 or 30 feet. They are slightly glau- 

 conitic near the top. The Magothy rests unconformably on the 

 Raritan, but the discordance is not great and indicates only a 

 slight epeirogenic movement. A marine fauna of 43 species, 

 possessing close affinities to that of the Ripley beds of the south 

 and to the Senonian of Europe, is found on the shores of Rari- 

 tan Bay, but farther southwest the deposits are apparently 

 estuarine. The flora is abundant and presents a much more 

 recent aspect than that of the Raritan. It is regarded by paleo- 

 botanists as showing upper Cenomanian affinities. 



Merchantville clay. — The Merchant ville is a black, glau- 

 conitic, micaeous clay, usually greasy in appearance and mas- 



1 In continental Europe the Cretaceous system is divided as follows : 



f Danian 



Senonian 

 Upper Cretaceous -\ Turonian 



[^ Cenomanian 



Unconformity 



f Albian 



_ J Optian 



Lower Cretaceous i Barremian 



[_ Neoconian. 



2 Berry E. W., Bulletin No. 3, p. 20 et seq., Geological Survey of New Jersey. 



