170 RESEARCH IN CHINA. 
In the crest of the Ho-shan, already mentioned, stratified rocks may 
be seen lying with a very gentle dip toward the east. In the contour and 
succession of the cliffs and gentle benches, they resemble the Sinian formation 
as developed further northward. The lowest member is evidently soft, 
and a reddish color can be detected in it with a field-glass. From this 
we infer that this member is the Man-t’o shale formation. As additional 
evidence that the Ho-shan contains Sinian limestones, it should be men- 
tioned that the float brought down by the streams includes dense gray 
limestones of the types which are characteristic of the Ki-chou group. 
SHAN-SI SERIES. 
From the explorations of von Richthofen* and other observers, it is 
known that the Carboniferous and Permo-Carboniferous continental deposits 
are broadly exposed in the province of Shan-si. We propose the name 
Shan-si series accordingly. We found them frequently from the vicinity 
of T’ai-yiian-fu southward to the westward bend of the Fén-ho. Between 
T’ai-yiian-fu. and W6n-shui-hién the exposures are almost continuous. 
There are two prominent terranes: (1) the soft shales of varied colors 
which von Richthofen called Tai-yang, which contain the coal-seams and 
lie directly upon the Sinian limestone; and (2) a thick sequence of light 
reddish sandstones with subordinate amount of sandy shales. The former 
are upper Carboniferous; the latter have been referred to by von Richt- 
hofen as ‘‘ Ueber-carbon.”’ 
Between Kié-hiu-hién and Chau-chéng, wherever the Huang-t’u has 
been removed, the Shan-si series is exposed. Throughout this portion of 
the district the red sandstones appear to have been eroded, as we find 
only the lower member, which consists of greenish, yellow, brown, and 
black shales and earthy sandstones; coal-seams are reported to be numer- 
ous. Immediately north of Y6n-yi-ssi a local bituminous limestone is 
interbedded with the shales; it is about 30 feet, 9 meters, thick, is quite 
hard, and contains well-known Upper Carboniferous fossils. The speci- 
mens collected comprise: Chonetes sp. aff. C. Flemingi, Hemiptychina sp. aff. 
H. orientalis; Ostracoda indet. 
The great thickness and persistence of the mantle of Huang-t’u from 
Chau-chéng southward prevents observations of the underlying coal- 
measures. A few miles south of Ho-ma-chén there are exposures in the 
roadway of an earthy greenish sandstone which is believed to be a part 
of the Shan-si series. 

*China, vol. 0, pp. 399-477. 
