GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE BUFFALO QUADRANGLE 



17 



In the exposure of the lower and more calcareous beds of the 

 Cardiff shales, immediately overlying the Stafford limestone at 

 Lancaster the following species of fossils were found by Wood: 



Tornoceras uniangulare and Orbiculoidea 

 m i n u t a are common fossils in this horizon in Livingston and 

 Ontario counties. ■ 



This term was applied by Vanuxem to the beds immediately 

 overlying the upper Marcellus (Cardiff) shale and exposed on 

 both sides of the north end of Skaneateles lake. It subsequently 

 fell into disuse when the term Hamilton group, employed by 

 Vanuxem for certain beds of shales at West Hamilton, Madison co. 

 had been extended to all the formations lying between the Onondaga 

 and Tully limestones. When recently the State survey found 

 itself compelled to adopt more exact and refined classification of 

 the strata than that hitherto in use, the term Skaneateles shale 

 was reapplied in its original meaning and scope. The Skaneateles 

 shale is the lowest division of the Hamilton beds. 



At the base the shales are hard, dark bluish or black and cal- 

 careous, passing into somewhat lighter and softer beds above, and 

 containing several rows of small concretions. On the lake shore 

 south of Bay View the division is 40 feet thick. It increases 

 toward the east and has a thickness of 125 feet in Ontario county 

 and of 335 feet in the Onondaga valley in Onondaga county. 



The entire section of the Skaneateles shale is exposed in the cliff 

 along the lake shore between the Bay View and Athol roads and 

 along the south branch of Smoke's creek, 1 mile east of Blasdell, 

 The Skaneateles shale also outcrops along the north branch of 

 Smoke's creek \ mile west of Reserve and along Cazenovia creek 

 h mile east of Reserve. 



At Blossom, 3 miles beyond the eastern boundary of this quad- 

 rangle, a bed of hard limestone 4 feet thick at or near the base of 

 the Skaneateles shale contains many cyathophylloid corals and 

 other fossils. The bed becomes softer toward the west and the 

 corals disappear. It is a shaly limestone where it outcrops on the 



Ceratopora dichotoma Grabaii 

 Chonetes lepidus Hall 

 Liorhynchus limitare (Vanuxem) 

 Atrypa reticularis (Linne) 

 Amboco.elia umbonata {Conrad) 



Meristella barrisi Hall 

 Pterochaenia fragilis (Hal. ) 

 Styliolina fissurella (Hall) 



Orthoceras aegea Hall 

 Phacops rana (Green) 



Hamilton beds 



Skaneateles shale 



