A. Winchell on the Taconic Question. 359 
known to occur in the Taconic area, would be taken as the 
true Taconic, which it does not appear to be, although Dr. 
Emmons included the Black Slate in it in 1847."^ 
The above paragraph, if I successfully penetrate its meaning, 
seems to me at variance with good reasoning. If Dr. Emmons 
characterized well the middle division of Mr. Walcott's Cam- 
brian, it seems to me the two ends must go with the middle into 
the Taconic, whether Emmon's established a proper order 
within the Taconic or not. If, in continuing, the writer means 
that the great lower division of the Taconic was "described 
as the typical Taconic," I should beg to differ, since the greatest 
abundance of Taconic characteristics cited by Emmons per- 
tained to the Upper Taconic — as finally he designated it. 
The Lower Taconic was originally described simply as a part 
of the Taconic, and if it cannot hold its place a large body of 
Taconic rocks remains. Lastly, with the statement that the 
Upper Taconic " is not now known to occur in the Taconic 
area," I beg again to differ, since the whole" Georgia group," 
as defined and mapped by Walcott, and ranged in the middle 
division of his Cambrian, falls within the original Taconic area. 
The Upper Cambrian of Walcott was excluded from the Ta- 
conic, but it appears that its palseontological affinities carry it 
there. 
Mr, Walcott's position will be made plain by the following 
compilation of results embodied in his last paper, to which ref- 
erence has already been made: 
Parallel with Walcott's stratigraphy I have placed the prin 
cipal members of Emmons' system, showing the singular strati- 
graphical disorder into which he fell. At the right hand, the 
Taconic and Cambrian stand as I would here propose. 
It is chiefly in consec|uence of this unfortunate confusion that 
Mr. Walcott concludes the term Taconic ought to be dropped 
out of use. It seems almost presumptuous to differ \vith so 
thorough and candid an investigator. Mr. Walcott seems to have 
completed happily the difficult work on which professor Dana has 
so skillfully labored for several years. The results possess the 
highest scientific value, for the labor has been one of exceptional 
1 Bull. U. S. Surv., No. 30, p. 65. 
