[30 
Tlie American Geologist. 
February. 1S!I>; 
Batesville Section. 
Boston limostones and sliale.s. 
Batrsvillo sandstone. 
Spring C"i(>L'k limestone and sli;»l 
Boone cherts. 
St. Joo marble. 
Sylaniore sandstone. 
Ttpic.\i> Section. 
Kaskaskia linufstone and shales. 
.\ux Vases sandstone. 
St. Louis limestone. 
Ozark I .VuifustaJ limestone. 
Kinderliook beds. 
Basal sandstone of Kinderliook. 
Regarding these, the author says, in conchision: 
"The Batesvillo sandstone has the same stratiin-aphical position in the Bates- 
ville section which the Aux Vases sandstone occupies in the typical section, and the- 
lithologic characters of the two formations are similar. No fossils have as yet been 
found in the Aux Vases sandstone, but if a fauna were found a mingling- of St. Louis 
and Kaskaskia species, such as are present in the BatesTille sandstone fauna would 
be looked for. 
"The strata of the Batesville section were deix)sited otf the southern shore of thr 
sami^ land, from whost^ ea.stern shore the strata of tlve typical section were laid 
down, hence it is not surpri.sing to find the sequence of the strata almost identical in 
the two sections. 
"The Mississippiau series was typically deposited not only along the line of the 
present Mississippi river, but off the shores and wholly surrounding the ancient 
Ozark Island. The deposition varied more or less off the different shores of the 
island, especially during the latter half of the period, when the body of land cease(t 
to be entirely surrounded by water, by being partially or wlioUy joined to the main- 
land toward the north ; the lower formations, however, included in the Kinderhook 
and Osage groups, may be expected to have a similar development on all sides of the 
ancient island." 
The paper contains the descriptions and ilkistrations of a number of 
new species of fossils that form a part of a rather extensive fauna which 
was found near the base of the sandstone, and also critical annotations 
on these and a number of others. The relations of the faunas of the 
Batesville sandstone and of the Maxville limestone of Ohio are also 
discussed. The brief clear statement regarding the stratigraphy of the 
Batesville region, and of the typical Mississippian section makes- the 
theme complete and adds greatly to the usefulness of the account. 
There are one or two points m the article that might be. open to 
criticism. One is the use of the word "group" in a sense that is now 
generally abandoned by geologists, who have given it an exact meaning 
in another connection — for a larger "group" of formations; though it 
is recognized that many paleontologists still persist in applying the term 
in a general, indefinite or loose way. Another point concerns the 
myth of the Ozark isle. Of late the "Ozark island" has been also used 
by the same author, as well as others, as the foundation of some 
attractive and far-reaching generalizations regarding the distribution of 
Devonian and early Carboniferous faunas, and of the land and water 
areas of that time. The idea of the existence, from Cambrian times, 
of an Ozark island was promulgated by some of the older geologists, 
who visited the region when our knowledge of the geological events 
that transpired in that part of the present continent was very much less 
complete than now. Although of late special attention has been re- 
peatedly called to the fact, and ample evidence set forth, it seems well 
