92 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 
Carolina by the same Saurian forms, plants, scales of fishes and the (so called 
mollusc) Posidonia. 
In 1855 Mr. Marcou published his " Carte Geologique des Etats-Unis," and 
in his explanations published at length, he gives an enormous extent on both 
sides of the Rocky Mountains to the Red Sandstone formation, which he dirides 
into four sections. As to the Red Sandstone of New Jersey, he places it on a 
horizon with the Aluschelkalk of Germany, the upper portion of the Triassic, 
(page 58.) 
Mr. Lea stated that his chief reasons in 1852 for attributing to these deposits 
a greater age than was given to them by other American geologists, arose from 
the fact that the vertebrae and teeth of the Clepsysaurus, which he then described, 
were very analogous the Thecodontosaurus antiquus, described by Riley and 
Stutsbury from the Magnesian limestone of Bristol, New England. 
More recently we have the opinion of Prof. Heer, of Zurich, distinguished for 
his knowledge of fossil plants and insects, who has examined specimens sent to 
him by Prof. Emmons. He states that these plants are characteristic of the 
Keuper, and that none of those of Virginia and North Carolina are really Oolitic. 
And it seems, too, that Sir Charles Lyeil, who has examined so carefully and 
frequently these red sandstone rocks in America, has changed his former 
opinions, and come to the conclusion that the Richmond and North Carolina 
coal series belong to the " Permian, or else to the Buuter sandstone.''* 
In a communication made by Prof. Emmons to the American Association of 
Science last August, he said that the question of the Permian age of the bitu- 
minous slates and lower sandstones of North Carolina must turn upon the age 
of the Bristol beds of England, the epoch of which is doubted by some English 
geologists. Mr. Lea wished it to be remembered that his conclusions in 1852 
were based on the almost universal opinion, in England, that the Bristol beds 
were Permian, and he referred the rocks in which were found his Clepsysaurns 
to the same horizon. 
Note. — On the southern side, the New Red Sandstone of Pennsylvania com-, 
mences on the river Delaware above Morrisville, opposite to Trenton, N. J., pass- 
ing near Willow Grove, below Norristown, Phoenixville and Ephrata, it crosses 
the Susquehanna at Bainbridge. On the northern side it commences at Kent- 
nerville, on the Delaware, about thirty miles above Morrisville, passing through 
Upper Milford township, it crosses the Schuylkill river about two miles below 
Reading, and passes out of the State at High Spire, above Middletown, the 
width here being reduced to about ten miles. 
April 21th. 
Vice President Bridges in the Chair. 
Forty members present. 
A summary of the transactions of the Biological Department was 
read, and the following papers reported for publication in the Proceed- 
ings by Committees of the Department, which reports v/ere adopted : 
Summary of the Transactions of the Biological Society, reported by 
Henry Hartshorne, M. D., Recording Secretary. 
Blood Crystals of the Sturgeon, by S. Weir Mitchell, M. D. 
The following papers were ordered to be published in the Proceed- 
ings: 
*American Journal of Science, 2d series, vol. 24, p. 429. 
[Aprils 
