. J^,

fo he pasted into BatorCis Geological Index, so at to/acsT^iiHe-p

he following alterations are made, partly on the sngges-
tions of Professor Silliman, and partly from my own
observations while reviewing the strata in various parte
of New-England and New- York, since the Index was
published. A. E.

Ibany, Dec. 10, 1818.

I. PRIMfTlVE CLASS.

Granite. In the Index it is included in No. 1.

Gneiss. - - _ - 3.

SiferyE. - ... - 7.

Of' ^.if alternates with the two next strata.
4. Mica-Slate. - , » .'ft

5.' Ta'^.cose^ocks. - . - 5,

^ - J Granular Limestone. - - - 2, 6 & 8.

!:/> ' Ot'tea connected with the granular quarts ; and dternates with th^
four preceding strata.

If. TRANSITION CLASS.

7. Agillaceous Slate.

Often passes into tlie biliceous slat«.
•' nKAYWACKE. - - - 10 & 1 i .

Often passes into rubblestone and variegated sandstone.

in. secondat\^ class.

Red Sandstone (sometimes wanting.)
Breccia (sometimes wanting.) - i.i,

f. Compact Limestone. - - J4,

Often contains organic relics.
12. Gypsum. .... f^,

Som*;times connected with rocksalt.

IV. SUPERINCUMBENT CLASS.*
; 1 3. Greenstone Trap. - 1 -

■iM. Bassalt. - . ^ . . 17,

Mostly jwrous and becoming amj:gdaloid.

V. ALLUVIAL CLASS.
15. Geest. - .... . jg^

Xliis is the common soil of hills, declivities, &c.
lb. Proper Alluvial. - . . |3,

Tliis is the deep soil of low level situations.

m^ -Coal is found in the United States, sometim^^^J bituil
shruc, ^nd sometimes betwrcii >itr;if-» < fniiraccoii^^BTone.

"1

17. 1

I .

I

V^'-'-'^'t-C-i^i-t-?

{

4>.^.^W^

^ ^ ^d^^UUCU.dU^

-*iU'

W.->^d^

-^^^ -l^v'.-^i- ^

INDEX TO THE GEOLOGY

or THE

/NORTHERN STAT^E's, /TJJ

WITH TRAXSVERSE SECTIONS, ~

EXTENDING FROM SUS(yjEHANNA RIVER TO THE ATLANTIC,
CROSSING CAT3KILL MOUNTAINS.

TO WHICH IS PREFIXED

A GEOLOGICAL GRAMMAR.

BY AMOS EATON, A. M.

ECTURER ON NATURAL HISTORY AND CHEMISTRY IN THE TROT

LYCEUM, PROFESSOR OF BOTANY IN CASTLETON MEDICAL

ACADEMY, MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN GEOLOGICAL

SOCIETY, AND CORRESrONDING MEMBER OF THE

■ NEW-YORK LYCEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.

SECOND EDITION,

• IIOLI.V V, RITTEN OVER AXEW, AND fUBLISMED CNLER
THE DIRECTION OF THE TROY LYCEUM.

" Systems of Natural Hi'story, however voluminous, are but
Indexes to the great book of Nature."

TROY, JV. Y.

rUBLlSUED BY WM. S. PARKER ; SOLD BY HIM ; BY WEBSTtRS AND
SKINNERS, ALBANY; T. AND J. SWORDS, NEW-YOKK; HOWE AND
SPALDING, NEW-HAVEN ; C.GOODWIN AND SONS, HARTFORD;
CUMMINGS AND HILLIARD, BOSTON ; S. BUTLER, NOR! HAMP-
TON ; AND M. CAREY AND SON, PHILADELPHIA.

1820.

.Xorihcrn bisirict of Ne'X'-York, to -ji:it :

T>E It Remembered, That on the tenth day of April,
, „ in the forty-fourth vear of tlie Independence of the

United States of Anitfica, A. D. 182c, WILLIAM S.

PARKER, of the said District, hath deposited in this
OfTice t'.ie title of a bock, the right whereof lie claims as pro-
prittor, in the words following, to wit :

" Index to tlie Geology of the Northern States, with transverse
" scctitiis, extending from Susquehanna river to the Atlantic,
" crossing 'Catskill mouiitains. To which is prefixed a Gcologi-
" cal Gr;.mm:<r, by Aa:os Eaton, A. M. I^ecturtr on Natural
" History and Chemistry in the Iroy Lyceum, Profcsior of Bot-
" any in Castlcton Medical Academy. Member of the American
" Geological Society, and Corresponding Member of the Ncw-
" Yoik 1-yccuni «)f Niitur^l History. Second Edition, wholly
" written over anew. " Systimsof Natural History, however vo-
" himinous, are but Indexks to the great book of Nature."

In ccrformity to tl.e act of the Congress of the United States,
entitled " An act for the encouragtnient of learning, by securing
the copies of M;:po, Chart?, and Books, to the aiit!iors and pro-
prietors of snih co[)its, during the times therein mentioned;"
and ;»I-.o, to the act, cntiileel " An ae-t, supplementary to an act,
en;i!led ' An act for the encouragtmcnt of Icirning. by securing
the topics of Maps, Charts, and liooks, to the authors anel pro-
prietors il surh copies, during the times therein mentioned,' and
extending tlic ' eneias tlicreof to the atts of designing, engraving
ajid etching hi.iorical and other prints."

RICH O R. LANSING,
Clerk of the Northern Dittrict ofNew-Yoik.

WM. S. P.\RK'-<, I'HINli.H.

PREFACE.

The first edition of this Treatise was intendeil
for ray pupils, as an Index to the localities where
they were to look for specimens to illustrate this
branch of Natural Science : not, ho'.vever, without
the expectation that it would fall into the hands of
many others. It was then a matter of doubt, whe-
ther I was to expect severe criticism or tola!
neglect. It now appears, that learned geologists
were inclined to give me more credit, than I had a
right to claim.* While some others, who derived
their small stock of geological knowledge entirely
from my labours, make a great display, without so
much as noticing my little book or its author.

• See American Journal of Science, North American Re-
view, New-York Tvlonthly Magazine, &c.

A 2

vi PREFACE.

The first edition contained many errors. In trutif
the errors are so numerous, that I shall not attempt
lo point them out. But I shall treat the subject as I
now understand it ; without detaining the reader
with any apologies for former mistakes. I am very
willing it should be said, that, " as this was the first
" attempt at a general arrangement of geological
" strata in North America, much allowance should
'' be made." I should not, however, feel greatly
mortified, if closet critics should object lo my plain
unvarnished " matter of fact" method ; and even if
tlie more able theorists should accuse me of placing
too much confidence in my own observations and
opinions. I now answer them all at once. Go to
the localities to which my Index refers you, and let
Nature herself decide our controversies.

With respect to the theoretical part, as far as I
have given in to any theory, it is to that of Werner,
with the improvements of Cuvier and Bakewell.*
But I hope I have no where compelled fact to bend
to any theory. I expect to be censured for reject-
ing so many of the strata, which are given by Euro-
pean geologists. My reply is a short one — / do not

• It is much to be regretted, that BakcwcU is not yet re-
printed in America.

PREFACE. vii

insert them, because I cannot find them.* If future
discoveries bring more strata to our knowledge, they
will be adopted of course. It is certainly most ad-
visable to begin with those only, which have been
clearly ascertained ; and calculate to increase our
list, when we shall be authorized by facts.

As the arrangement adopted in this work is wholly
founded upon my own observations, it will be proper
to mention some of the leading localities by which
1 was governed. I have attentively examined most
of the western towns in Massachusetts, and a large
portion of the eastern ; every county in Connecti-
cut ; and the southwestern part of Vermont. Also,
all that portion of the state of New- York, which lies
between the west bounds of Massachusetts and the
Susquehanna river; embracing the whole extent of
the Catskill mountains. Most of the counties of
Saratoga, Schenectady, Rensselaer and Albany, I
have repeatedly examined with very particular at-
tention. The district of country, which I have
attentively studied for the last four years, is about
one hundred and hfty miles in breadth ; through the
southern part of which runs the 42d degree of north

* M'Clure says : " Many names I do not use ; because 1
never met with them."

viii PREFACE.

latitude, and it extends very nearly from the 71st ta
the 76th degree of west longitude. 1 have also
taken a hasty survey of the southern part of the
state of New- York. My journies on foot, while in
search of geological facts, will now exceed two thou-
sand ffiiles ; leaving out of the account all my ex-
cursions in the vicinity of Troy and Albany, and
more than another thousand of carriage and water
travelling.

Though I repose perhaps an unwarrantable de-
gree of confidence in the arrangement of strata
which I liave adopted, more especially since it has
been confirmed by the researches of so many mem-
bers of the Troy Lyceum and others; yet I am pre-
pared to adopt any amendments which future dis-
coveries shall warrant.

It is not pretended that many principles absolutely
new will be developed in this work. Nothing more
is promised, than a faithful application, to North
American Geology, of those principles which have
been brought to light by the researches of the learn-
ed geologists of the old and new world. The Pre-
sident of the American Geological Society, William
M'Clure, Esq. has already struck out the grand out-

PREFACE. ix

line of North American geogiaphical geology. The
(Irst Vice-Presideot, Col. G. Gibbs, has collected
more fz^cts and amassed more geological and minera-
jogical specimens than any other individual of the
age. The second Vice-President, Professor Silli-
man, his learned and indefatigable colleague io
these labors, gives the true scientifir. dress to all the
naked mineralogical subjects, which are furnished to
his hand. The third Vice-President, Professor
Cleaveland, is successfully employed in elucidating
and familiarizing those interesting sciences ; and
thus smoothing the rugged paths of the student.
Professor Mitchill has amassed a large store of ma-
terials, and annexed them to the labors of Cuvier
and Jameson. But the drudgery of climbing clifis
and descending into fissures and caverns, and of tra-
versing, in all directions, our most rugged moun-
tainous districts, to ascertain the distinctive charac-
ters, number and order of our strata, has devolved
on me. I make no pretensions to any peculiar quali-
fications, other than that bodily health and constitu-
tional fitness for labor and fatigue, which such an
employment requires.

The short courses of Geological Lectures, which
I have given in the villages and towns situated in

X PREFACE.

various parts of this district, have afTorded me many
advantages. More than one thousand of ray pupils
reside within its limits, many of whom have collect-
ed very interesting materials in aid of my pur-
pose.

I have prefixed a concise grammar of geology ibr
the benefit of students. This 1 have accommodated
to my views of North American geology.

I consider nothing in geology entitled to much
confidence, which is purely theoretical. But 1 am
willing to be held as pledged for every fact given
as such in this Index ; unless there are cases (which
1 hope are few) where I misjudged respecting the
name or character of a mineral or stratum.

Since the scientific world will no longer en-
dure geological reveries and speculative dreams, it
becomes necessary to cite the authority by which
every position is supported. This renders a mul-
titude of names of persons and places indispensable.
I am sensible that a treatise defaced with so many
proper names has a forbidding aspect ; but without
them it would appear to be a record of assertions
rather than a record of facts.

PREFACE. XI

A distinct treatise on the geology of our district is
3ti!I wanted ; and it is to be hoped that it may ere
long appear. I mean a treatise on the local forma-
tions. Schoolcraft's View of the Lead Mines of
Missouri is a sample of that kind of research, which
should engage the attention of at least one experi-
enced geologist in every state.*

• I have lately received a letter from Dr. H. H. Haydcn of
Baltimore, liy which I am happy to Icarn, that he has pre-
pared a volume of essays on several geological subjects, which
is soon to be published. This information must be highly
gratifying to those who have heretofore been instrticted by
his labors.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE PLATES.

*^f* Both plates are to be put in as maps are set
ill aa Atlas. They are of a size just sufficient to
make two leaves equal to tbe leaves of the book,
j)rovided the slips of paper to which they are attach-
ed are so narrow as to bring the middle of the plates
near the back.

Plate I, must follow this page. Plate II, must fol-
low tbe Explanations on page 280.

7'firfarv

p/ftr/x U(//ftfJtr/

> '"''>- *

EXPLANATION OF PLATE I.

Jl OR the convenience of learners, I Ibali
adopt the following theory.

That at the creation, the materials conflitu-
ting the earth were finely comminuted and
mixed with water, fo as to form the chaotic
pafte. That thefe matei-ials united together by
attraftion of cohefion or aggregation, and fet-
tled down towards the center in layers arranged
Clearly in the order of their fpecific gravities.*

* It has been demoadrated by Dr. Maikaline and others, that
what i« btlovr the granite all taken togetlicr is about five times
as heavy as a globe of water of the fame bulk, or has about doub-
ic the fpecific gravity of the granite and all aboTc it. The proof
of this fa(St is founded on the deviation of a plum-line from a
true perpendicular, when fufpended by the Cde of an iafulated
mountain of naked rock. The fpecific gravity of the mountain-
may be afcertaincd by aflual trial of average fpccimens fronx
it. It* cubic feet may be found by mtafurc; and the cubic
feet contained in the earth may alfo be found by calculatioa,^
The deviation of the plum-line fliould be is the cobic feet of the

f Confequently concentric hollow fpheres were
formed,. enclofmg each other like the coats of
an onion. Thefe are reprefented by Fig. i.

The Granite is denoted by No. i, Gneifs 2,
Hornblende rock 3, Mica-flate 4, Talcofe rock
5, Granular limeftone 6, Argillite 7, Metallife-
rous Hmeftone 8, Graywacke 9, Red fandilonc
io, Muddy waters furrounding the earth 11.
The four outer ftrata called tranfition rocks,
were formed after fome marine animals were
created ; as fuch animals are now contained in
them, in a flate of petrifadion.

The outer rocks, denominated fecondary,
which fometimes contain petrifa£lions of organ-
ized beings, which inhabited dry land^ are of
more recent formation and not reprefented in
the figure. In a very early flate of the earth
there were probably many local formations un-
der water fuch as Supei-incumbent rocks, AUu-
vials, &c.

inoun'ain to the cubic feet of the earth. But it turns out to be
but half as much as it fliould be, when the fpecific gravity of thfr
rock is two and a half. Therefore the earth is five.

EXPLANATION OF PLATE I. io

That in due time fome force (perhaps the
cxp'cinfion ot lleam by the agency of" the inter-
nal heat of the earth) was exerted beneath the
granite, fufficient to overcome the weight and
flrength of the granite and of all the rocks out-
fide of it. That this force, extending around
the earth between the granite and the unknown
ftratum next beneath it, at length buifl: iorth
driving the granite through the outer ilrata in
feveral places, and thereby railing up their
broken edges into a highly inclined pofition.
By this procefs iflands, or even continents, of
rocks, and perhaps fupporting fome fubmarinG
foils, were raifed out of the waters hitherto en-
veloping the earth.

That the uppermoft of the elevated flrata^
being mod expofed and of a foft texture, foon
crumbled down and formed foils fuitable for
the production of vegetables and the habitation
of animals. Thefe organized beings were fre-
quently fwept into the fea and fometimes inter-
mixed with marine relics. From continued
abrafions and difintegration rocks above and
below the waters were reduced to pebbles, fand
and parte, from which new rocks were formed.

.16 EXPLANATION OF PLATE I

Thefe mofl; recent rocks entombed both marine
and land relics. After a further fubfidence of
the v/aters many of thefe rocks were left bare
alfo ; which are now called Secondary rocks.*

That the rents made by the grand explofion,
which firft upturned and disfigured the rocky
cruft of the globe, were in a north and fouth
direction. That thofe, crofling the 42nd de-
gree of north latitude, were principally made
at the Pyrenees and Alps in Europe, Caucafus^
Tartary and China in Afia, Rocky Mountain
•and New-England in America, They are re-
prefented in Fig. 2.

The north and fouth rents now conftitute
the central lines of the leading ranges of pri-
mitive rocks, from which the feries of rock
flrata are reckoned. Other more limited ex-
plofions, called volcanoes, have frequently oc-
curcd ; which, with inundations and other
(•^.rifes, gave rife to many local formations.

Figure 3. reprcfents a fe6tion of fecondary

' Have petrifactions of jr)-/<;).J animals or plints been found
i»i rock flriita blghly elevated ?

EXPLANATION OF PLATE l. 17

country, where all the old and new ftrata are
fuppofed to be prefent.

Whether this theoi7 accords with the real
origin of the prefent (late of things or not, is
immaterial. It is introduced folely for the
purpofe of aiding the memory in ftu dying the
flrata, which we know do exifl. It is prefer-
red for this ufe ; becaufe it is more fimple
and feems to accord with more phenomena,
than any theory hitherto fuggcfted.

B 2

GRAMMAR

OF

GEOLOGY.

ALPHABET.

1 HOSE, who are unacquainted with Min-
eralogy, can make no progrefs in Geology,
"without a familiar acquaintance with nine ho-
mogeneous minerals. Every ftratum confifts
of one or more of thefe nine minerals j therefore
they are aptly denominated the Geological Al-
phabet. They are, i. Quartz, 2. Felfpar,
3. Mica, 4. Talc, 5. Hornblende, 6. Argillite,
7. Limeflone, 8. Gypfum, 9. Chlorite.

I. Quartz. When held between the eye
and a window, it refleds light fomewhat like a
polifhed piece of cold tallow. This is called
its luftre. On attempting to fcratch it with a

2u GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

penknife, the metal will leave a trace on it,
and it will not be Icratched. It is commonly
glafs-colour, but it is often milk-white, reddifli,
and of various other colours. Quartz confifls
of about 93 per cent filex, 6 alumine or clay,
I lime, befides 2 or 3 per cent of water in a
folid ftate.

II. Felspar, or Feldspar. Its luftre is
peculiar ; but it in fome meafure refembles that
of a broken edge of china ware. It may be
fcratched with a knife. Its colour is generally
white or flefh-coloured. It is befl: afcertained
when in the flate of a rock aggregate by pro-
curing an outfide fragment, which had been
long expofed to air and moiflure. In this ftate
it always affumes a peculiar tarnifh, of a yel-
lowilh hue. Felfpar confifts of about 6t, per
centfilex, 17 alumine, 13 potafti, 3 Hme, i iron,
3 water.

III. Mica. It is always in fhining laminae
or fcales. It is every where known by the im-
proper name of ifmglafs. I'he fcales are al-
ways elaftic. It confifts of 48 per cent filexj,

tiRAMMAR OF GEOLOtiY. 2A

34 alumine, 9 potafli, 5 iron, i manganefe,
3 water. Black mica contains 22 per cent iron.

IV. Talc. It often refembles mica ; but
can readily be diftinguiflied from it by being
non-elaftic. Take a fmall fcale or fibre of it
in a pair of tweezers, put it under a magnifier
and bend it with the point of a fine needle. If
it remains as it is bent, it is talc j if it fprings
back it is mica. It always gives a rock the unc-
tuous or foapy feel. It confifls of 62 per cent-
filex, 27 magnefia, 3 alumine, 3 iron, 6 water.

V. Hornblende. It is the tougheft of all
earthy minerals. Generally it prefents a kind
of confufed fibrous ftructure. It may be fcratch-
cd with the knife. The colour is always green-
ifti, brownifli or black. Sometimes it appears
in black fcales, refembling black mica to the
naked eye. But under the magnifier it differs
materially. It ccnfifts of about 42 per cent
filex, 12 alumine, 11 lime, 3 magnefia, 33
iron, I manganefe, 1 water.

VI. Argillite. This needs no defcrip-
tion. The common roof-flate and the Hate ns-

22 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

ed for cyphering in fchools are good fpeclmens.
It confifts of about 38 per cent filex, 26 alu-
mlne, 8 magnefia, 4 lime, 14 iron, 10 of pot-
afh, foda, manganefe, water, &c.

VII. Limestone. Common marble af-
fords good fpecimens. It (hould be tefted by
a drop of muriatic, nitric or fulphuric acid,
which will caufe an effervefcence or bubbling.
It confifts of ^y per cent of lime, 43 of carbo-
nic acid. Sometimes it is coloured with iron,
and often contains a little filex and alumine.

VIII. Gypsum. Common plaifter of Paris-.
It will not effervefce with acids and is generally
fofter than limeftone. It confifts of 32 per
cent lime, 46 fulphuric acid, 22 water.

IX. Chlorite. It is a little harder than
talc, but may be fcratched with the finger nail.
Under the magnifier it appears like a compaO:
mafs of fine green fcales. When breathed on
it gives an odour in fome meafure refembling
clay. Its elementary conftituents are variable.
They will average about 40 per cent filex, 23
alumine, 18 magnefia, 15 oxid of iron, 2 lime,
2 water. This is the leaft important of the
whole nine.

GRAM-yAK OF GEOLOGY. 2j

After ftudents can readily recognize thefe
nine minerals, they fhould be exercifed in
pointing them out in their various dates of ag-
gregation. They will foon be enabled to fpell
out anv rock Trith facilitv.

CtRammar of OEOLOGY. ?5

C LA is S E S,

The exterior rind of the earth is divided in-
to five clafles.

CLASS I.

PRIMITIVE ROCKS,

Thefe are the fix kinds, which, while they
Yemain in their original pofitions undifturbed,
are the lowefl: with which we are acquainted.
They are diftinguifhed from all the rocks ot the
other clafles by their being always deftitute of
organic relics, or the petrified remains of ani-
ma's and vegetables. They appear to have
been originally formed in h.orizontal firata ;
and afterwards to have been forced upwards,
in fome parts of the earth, by a power exerted
beneath them, refembling in its effedls the ex-
panfion of fteam by heat. Thefe (trata, when
c

*6 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

thus forced up, nioflly approach a vertical po-
fition. In North America this clafs of rocks
appears in North and South ranges,

CLASS II.

TR.1.\S!TI0.Y ROCKS.

'I'hefe are the four kinds, which reft imme-
diately upon the primitive clafs, or incline
againft its fides. They are diftinguifhed from
the rocks of the primitive clafs by their contain-
ing organic relics. And they are diftinguifhed
from the fecondary clafs by their containing no
petrifactions but thofe of marine origin.

CLASS III.

.^ECOXDARY ROCKS.

Thcfe are the four kinds, which are the up-
permoft in the feries of regular rock ftrata.
They are diftinguiftied from the two preceding
claffes by their containing, not only marine pe-
trifaftions, but thofe alfo which are of dry-land
and frefh-water origin.

GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY. ii?

It is pr^Hable that future difcovcries will
compel us to add another clafs, to embrace Lo-
cal FORMATIONS.

CLASS IV.

SUPERIKCUMBENT ROCKS.

Thefe rocks overlay others in a non-con-
formable pofition. In our diftridl they gene-
rally reft upon breccia or red fandftone ; and
are always above primitive hornblende rocks.
They are moftly granular aggregates in which
one effential conftituent is hornblende. When
wet they exhibit a greenifh hue. A colum-<
nar, polyhedral, or rhomboidal tendency is al-
ways manifeft. Bakewell and many other§
coniider them of volcanic origin.*

' Bakewell is inclined to believe, that Sicnite is of volcaait;
origin alfo. But the pofition of cverj variety of fienite in our
<liftriv5t gives the hi^hefl evidence, that it is cxclufiveiy a primi-
tive rock. From the pofition of the grecnftone trap at Deerficid
and Northampton, Mafs. it would not require a great efFort of
fancy to conceive it to have ')een formed of melted primitive
hornblende rock ; as this ftratuni undoubtedly pafles beneath it,
and we have no evidence that a communication belv.ecr. th rm
is net midc by a rent through the intcrpofed ftrara.

2« GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY,

CLASS V.

ALLUVIAL FORMATIONS.

Thefe are the various loofe layers, which are
formed of difintegrated or broken rocks.
Sometimes thefe broken fragments, even though
pulverized, are cemented together, forming pud-
dingflone, calcareous breccia, indurated marl,
&c. But this formation confifts chiefly of
gravel, fand, clay and loam. The indurated
maffes may be denominated alluvial rocks.

rOLCJNIC PRODUCTIONS,

Thefe do not form a diftind clafs of geolo-
;^ical flrata ; though perhaps they may belong
to the fuperincumbent clafs. Any minerals,
upon which changes have been wrought by vol-
canic fires, belong here.

The mod common kinds of volcanic pro-
ductions are : Lava, which feems to be com-
pofed chiefly of melted hornblende flowly cool-
ed— Obsidian, which is the fame as lava cool-

GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY. 29

ed fuddenly — Pumice, which is faid to be
formed chiefly of melted felfpar — ^Tufa or
Volcanic breccia, which is an aggregated
mafs of volcanic (tones, cemented together by
volcanic aflies.

REMARK.

Although the arrangement adopted in this
Grammar correfponds with the order of (Irata,
viewed on a large fcale ; yet much confufion
often obtains in limited localities. A good ex-
ample may be found in the avenue to the South-
ampton lead mines, Mafs. See the American
Journal of Sciene, page 136. Here the gene-
ral (Irata are only Granite, Mica-flate, Talcofe
rock and Alluvion including coal between layers
of micaceous fandflone, &c. though an aggregate
refembling Graywacke, alfo ferpentine and Mi-
ca-flate, alternate with the Granite.

Another very important locality is to be found
in the wefl: part of Maflachufctts. Near the
fouth bounds of the fl:ate there appears to be
but one range of granular Umeftone, and that
in its true place, as located in the fyilem of ar-
c 2

30 CxRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

rangement. But on purfuing this flratum a
very little diflance to the north, it divides into
two extenfive ranges, continuing far into the
ftate of Vermont. And foutherly it divides in-
to three ranges, which in fome places diverge
From each other to the diflance of feveral miles.
A little fouth of Williams College, the ranges
of this ftratum are feparated by a mountain of
fmeifs, mica-flate, talcofe rock, and granular
quartz, 24 hundred feet in height. Though in
this locality there appears to be great confu-
iion in the order of ftrata ; if our examinations
are fufficiently extended, uniformity in the ar^
rangement of analogous rocks becomes mani-
fefl.

GRAMMAR OF CitOLOGY. ?1

S TR A T A.

Each clafs is fubdivlded into ftrata.
I. PRIMITIVE CLASS,

\, GRANITE.''

It confifts of quartz, felfpar and mica, ag-
gregated irregularly j prefenting a granular, not
a flaty appearance. It may be coarfely or fine-
ly granulated. The oldeft rocks are generally
the coarfeft. When the felfpar is white, it is
called grey granite ; when flefh-coloured, red
granite j when blue, which is rare, blue gra-
nite. It often forms veins, traverfmg gneifs

* Any rock Aratum may contain many other minerals bcfidee
thofc, which arc effcntial. Thcfc are to be confidcrcd ag acci-
dental and arc not to be taken into view in determining the cha-
ra<5ler of a rock. For example, if fliorl or beryl be found in gri-
uite, the rock is granite, notwithftandiog.

32 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

and hornblende rocks. Sometimes it contains
very hard ferpentine.*

2. G.XEISS.

It confifts of quartz, felfpar and mica, but is
diftinguifhed from granite by the arrangement
of the mica. For the fcales of mica are moftly
arranged in layers, fo as to give the mafs, if
broken croffwife, a llaty or ftratified appearance.
It is generally finer grained than granite, and
contains a lefs proportion of felfpar. The
quartz is fometimes very abundant and fine-
grained, fo as to prefent a fand-like appearance.
When it approaches the horizontal pofition, it
often paffes into, or rather embraces, a kind of
rock in fome meafure refembling graywacke.
This is confidered as the mofl recent variety.^

3. HORNBLENDE ROCK-X

It confills eflentially of aggregated hornblende

• As in WcftGcld, Mafs. and the Highlands, N. York.

f The northwcfl part of the couoty of Saratoga prcfents a
vaQ extent of this variety.

\ This was called Sicnite in the ifl Ed. But tliat name, like

GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY. '33

and felfpar. Excepting the fuperincumbenfe
tlafs, there appears to be no rock in the North-
trn States of which hornblende is a conftituent^
only this ftratum. Sometimes it is compofed
of green, or brownifli green hornblende, beau-
tifully fpeckled with white felfpar.* Some-
times it confifts moftly of dark brown horn-
blende, is of a flaty ftructure, and breaks readi-
ly into fuitable forms for building ftone.f It
often contains beds of porphyry.

Trap, has been fo variouflj applied, that I kave been induced tc
adopt a dcfcriptive name, which is at leafl harm'.efs.

• Mod authors applj the name Sicnitc, to this variety, mi^
king it a didindt ftratum ; and name the flaty variety of horn-
blende rock Primitive trap. This dirtindlion will do very well
for tabclled fpecimens in a cabinet. But the vafl ranges of this
rock which pafs through Worthington, Plainfield, Bclchertown
and Framingham, Mafs. prove both thcfe varieties to be the
fame rock ; for they both often pafs into each other in the fame
continuous layer.

f This flratnm alternates with fo many other primitive rocks,
that it is fomcwhat difficult to locate it in tlic fyftcm. But after
fcveral attentive re-examinations, I find, that all the ranges, mtn-
tioned in the lad note, reft upon gneifs. At Haddam quarries.
Con. the flaty variety alternates with gneifs. But the larger
"•anges on^h: to ccntroul in qucftionablc cafes.

34 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGV

4. MICA-SLATED

It is effentially compofed of mica and fine-
grained quartz. It is of a flaty ftrudture and
eafily broken or fplit. When the hornblende
rock is not interpofed, it pafles into gneifs.
Some varieties of it can hardly be diftinguifhed
from the fofteft varieties of gneifs.

6. TALCOSE ROCK.]

It confifts eflentially of talc and quartz very
finely comminuted. It pafifes into mica-flate.
The meeting and mixing of thefe two ftrata
produce the common fcythe •whetflonejj and
one variety of the fand ufed in glafs factories. §

* Cillcd alfo Micaceous fchistus. In the Northern Sfatcs tins
is not generally a very extenGve ftratnm.

f I adopt this name by the advice of Profeflbr Siliiman, as a
fubflitute for fleatitc or foapftoiie. He has the authority of Pro-
feflbr Strouve, in fuport of his own opinion.

\ As neat- the northeanern part of Belchcrtown, Mafs. and
in Smithfie!d,R. I.

5 As in Berkfliirc county near LcnoT, Mafs.

tSRAMMAH OF GEOLOGY. 36

The micaceous iron ore is alfo formed at this
meeting ot itrata.*

6. GRJjWLAR LIMESTO.YE.

It confifts effentially of glimmering grains of
limeftone. Sometimes a large proportion of
the rock confifts of grains of quartz forming a
kind of calcareous fandftone. It is generally
afTociated, or ahernates, with large beds of
granular quartz ; even mountain mafles.t It
frequently alternates with feveral of the prece-
ding ftrata.| Sometimes it contains Serpen-
tine. § Sometimes it paffes into Dolomite.||

* As in Hawley, Mafs.

f As thofc near Williams College, Mafs..
\ See Remark, Page 29.

§ As the Milford quarry. Con.
it As in Canaan, Con,

GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY

II. TRANSITION CLASS.

7. ARGILLITE*

It is homogeneous in its appearance ; being
the fame as the fixth mineral defcribed in the
geological alphabet. Like the flate of Cham-
wood foreft, England, mentioned by Bakewell,
the flaty laminae in our diftrict generally make
a large angle with the planes of the feams fe-
parating the layers. Sometimes they are near-
ly vertical and curviUnear. Moft of the layers
are of vaft thicknefs. It pafles into filiceous or

• The fhining argiUitc.or proper primitive flatc, Is an imbed-
ded, or fubordinatc, rock, found only with primitive rocks. The
Prefident of the Troy Lyceum found it with granite in Vermont.
1 found in Schoharie county a very foft variety of argillareoas
rock in an extcnfivc bed containing fibrous fulphate of barytes.
It feems to be a foft variety of gravwacke, under, and in immedi-
ate connexion with, compad) limtftone. Neither of thcfc varie-
ties cin be miftrtken for the (Iratuni licrc tutcadcd : and they
have no coaocxioa with it.

GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY. 37

Hinty flate ; and is often traverfed by veins of
white quartz. It frequently embraces large
Anomalous aggregates. Near Troy and Al-
bany it is pftcn varnifhed with carburet of iron.
It contains petrifaftions of orthoceriics^ pecten-
ites and anomites ; but they are not frequently
found.

8. METALLIFEROUS LIMESTONE*

It is more compad than primitive limeflone \
hui under the maT[nifier it feems to be cfiential-
ly compofed of very minute glimmering grains.
It is generally harder and lighter coloured than
the compact limeflone and contains very few
petrifactions. Sometimes it is highly variegat-
ed in its colours. It fometimes alternates wilh
the ftrata above and below its place. In South

* Called Tranfition limcflonc alfo. The cxiflcnce of this flra-
tum along the c'^ft fide of Lake Cliamplain in Vermont, fcfms to
1)c dcmonnratcd by that very accurate naturaJifl, Dr. Edwin
James. Wc iiavc reafon to fufpctfl, tiiat it altcrn^ites with ar-
gillaceous flatc in RenfTtlaer and Co'umhia counties ; but this
Ailijtifl has not been fufficicniy invefli^ated. I have a fpteimcn
from Potofi in South America, containing filver ore, which is
foftcr and more variegated in colour, than the fpccimcns from
Vermont. See Dr. James' efTay in a note further ou.

D

38 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

America, and in mofl other countries it abounds
in ores.

0. GRAYWJCKE.

It confifts effentially of grains of quartz ce-
mented together by indurated clay. It is al-
mofl always of a dull grey colour, rarely a lit-
tle greenifh.* It may be diftinguifhed from
every variety of fandftone by magnifying its
conftituent particles. For the magnifier fhews
the empty interftices between the quartzofe par-
ticles of all fandflones, which are chiefly filled
up with alumine in graywacke. Graywacke
v/ill always crack and become fiffile by heating,
on account of the aluminous cement. Where-
as fandftone will merely cruu^ble to pieces, or
become pulverized by heat.

There are two varieties of graywacke, which
feem to pafs into each other. They are deno-
minated rtibblejione and graywacke-Jlate. 1 he
former is harder, coarfer and rarely contains any
glimmering fcales. Its condituents are from
the fize ot a pin-head to feveral inches in esv-

• As that wed of Miiford quarry in Coiinedlicuf.

GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY. 39

:ent. Large pieces of flaie are often embraced
in it.* The flaty variety is the mofl extenfive.
It always, I believe, exhibits glimmering fcales
of talc or mica. It is the mod variable of all
rocks, and contains the mod imbedded maffes.
It p'affes into a foft fine-grained variety, which
is generally miflaken for argillaceous date ; but
may be didinguiflied by the glimmering fcales.
This foft variety forms the beft fine-grit grind-
ftones and hones.f It is fometimes very irregu-
larly fiffile, fo that it cannot be quarried.|;
Sometimes it is fo compaft that it takes a very
good poli(h.§ It often embraces vaft beds of
coarfe fanddone or gritdone.j) It abounds in
ores in many places.^ In our didrid: it is the
bafis rock of more than ten thoufand fquare

* The mofl perfecfl fpecimcns of tlils variety are thofe, which
are quarried at tlic fouth end of the bridge ca Normau's Kill,
two miles below Albany.

f As at Van Veciitcn's mill and Eaton's mill, Catskill, aod ."ti
Patchcn's mill in BlenheiTi,N. York.

t A3 in tlic cart face of Catflcill mountain, N, Yorfe.

§ As in Bacl's quarry near Troy, N. York.

il As in Blenheim, N. York.

*\ The lead ore in l.ivingflon'« Maner is in this ftratnrr.

40 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

miles.* It contains anofnites, pectenites^ orth^-
cerites^ terebratulites, ehamites, myites, &6.

10. RED SJ^'DSTONE.

It confifts effentially of grains of quartz ag-
gregated together, or perhaps cemented togeth-
er by alumine and red oxyd of iron ; but the
interiiices between the grains are not filled as
in graywacke, but are more or lefs empty. It
is red or reddifh grey, fometimes paffing into a
grey ccarfe gritftone.f It contains petrifatlions
of the coraliinlies in very great abundance.! It

' The members of tlio Troy I-yceuta Lave taken great pains
to obtain correct iaformatioii refpe<fling this ftratum. It ap-
pears that European geologifls liavc made feveral flrata from it.
But i:s great extent in our diftridt, embracing the whole of Cats-
kill mountain with all its vafl weflern fpurs, enables us to exa-
mine the relative pofitions of all its varieties on a large fcale,

f As at the fouth end of Mount Tom, Korthampton, Mai'"s.

\ According to the definition of the clafTcs, this ftratum mull
i^o into the Secondary clafs, if its pctrifavTtions ire not of marine
origin. Jameson fays "on a general view, it might be viewed
2s the ncwcfl member of the tranfition clafs." He leaves it in
the Scrondary however. This he ought to do, if he is correift
ill conlidcring thefe pctrifaAions as the " trunks or branches of
trtcs," which they certainly rcfemblc. I fell. into the fame error
in the firft edition of the Index. 1 think fomc of thefpecimcns in

GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY. 41

alternates with the upper layers of graywacke.
This is the common red freeftone.

the Troy Lyceum clearly demondrate thcfe relics to be of marine
origin. Though they do not contain a particle of carbonate of
lime, which we fliould expeA generally to find in moft fpecics of
Martin's genus Erifmatolite ; yet fome fpccies of his fevStion Ceral-
linarum appear to liavc been originally corneous. And even thr
whole fpccies CoraHinite may not have been calcareous.

Bakcvircll places it here ; and M'Clurc f.iys he fhould incline
*o the fame arrangement. Therefore on t!u's authority, the fug-
geftion of Jamcfon, its alternating with graywacke, and cmbra-
:ing marin': relics only, I have concluded to plncc it in th's clafs.

D 2

42 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY,

III. SECONDARY CLASS.

11. BRECCLl.-^

It confifts of coarfe grains of various rocks
aggregated or cemented together, moflly by
aliunine, ?.nd red oxyd of iron. Some of the
q,rains are always rounded. They are from

* This flratum is for.-.ctimes omitted by geologifls. But it is
. ach an i-niverfal afTociatc witli red fanddone in our diftri(ft, that
t caanct be omitted. As it is manifeftly of more recent forma-
*;on than the fandflonc, it will introduce confufion in the fys-
• cm to treat it as a I'ubordinatc rock. No two rocks are more dis-
tindtly marked by invariable charadlcriftics than thefe. The
ianJflone is entirely made up of angular grains moflly of the
:'ame kind ; breccia moflly of rounded ones, of very diflcrent
kinds. There is fomc dilliculty in diflinguifliing Iiand fpecimcns
•'rom Puddingflonc. But as the latter is an alluvial rock, or a
r.icre mafs of cemented gravel, there can be no dilTiculty, when cx-
;4mincd in place. Some of the mofl deciiivc localities arc tliofe
of Cat&ill mountains, Decrfield and Northampton, Mafs. Mid-
cIIetowD, Coa. Calcareous and Silitious breccia have no con-
nexion with this flratum. They arc fubordinatc to other rocks
Alfo t!ic rvartzpfc hrecria uftd for millfloncs.

GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY. 43

the fize of a pin-head to that of feveral feet in
extent. It always refts upon red fandftone in
our diftricl.

13. COMPACT UMESTOm:.-^

It confifts chiefly of carbonate of lime, which
is not made up 'of glimmering grains, but has
a more dull earthy appearance. Particles of con-
fiderable luflre are often interfperfed through-
out large mafles of it ; but thefe are imperfect
cryftals, very different from the glimmering
grains of granular limeflone. Sometimes it is
traverfed by veins of very perfect cryftals j fome-
times it contains mafl!es of imperfeft cryftals,
called calcareous fpar. It is rarely, if ever,
pure ; but generally contains confiderable alu-
mine or filex. Ifaac M'Conihe, Efq. prefent-
ed fpecimens of the white Lithographic ftone-
to the Troy Lyceum, which he found alter-

• It is called Shell limcrtone, and Floctz limeftonc. It refts
upon graywarkc, when the red fandftone and breccia arc want-
ing; as in the Heldcberg, fouthwcft from Albany. Jamcfon
makes feveral ftrata of this ; and among thtm intcrpofes va-
riegated fandftone, bituminous ftiale and coal. Perhaps thefc
may be diftinguiflied in our diftri(5t. Until they arc, we may
confidcr them as fubotdinitc to this ftratum.

44 GRAJVIMAR OF GEOLOGY.

nating with this ftratum in Indiana. In our
diftrid it feems to be chiefly made up of femi-
difintegrated fhells, held together by a cement
compofed of the difmtegrated parts. Its co-
lour is generally blue or brown.

13. GITSUM.

It is homogeneous, being the fame as the
eighth mineral defcribed in the Geological Al-
phabet. In our diftrid it is frequently combin-
ed with carbonate of lime ; and is often dark
coloured, and even black. Salt fprings are fre-
quently found in the vicinity of this ftratum ;
which has induced many to believe that a ftra-
tum of rock fait was once in connexion with it
in the weftern part of the ftate of N. York, &c.*

14. SECOJVDARY SAXDSTO.YE.

It confifts of quartzofe particles fimply ag-

' Since the fame range of gypfiim extends into the regions of
the Miflifippi, according to M'CIurc, where rock fait is ftill
found ; have we not good reafon to believe that thcfc two
ftrata ezid in connexion, or in the vicinity of each other,
wherever fait fprings abound ? It is undoubtedly the moft ra-
tional conjetSlure, Miat the fait fprings are fupplied by the con-
tinued fulution of rock fait, which h'es beneath the alluvial de-
pofites.

GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY. 45

gregated together, or mixed with grains of
limeftonc or with clay. It is very various in
colour and texture, from coarfe gritftone to the
fine-grained and almoft compad.* PbytoUtes
and other organic relics are found in this ftra-
tum.f

* I am not fo well acquainted with this ftratuni, as I ought to
be. It i» probable that it might be divided into the Silicious,
Argillaceous and Calcareous fandflone, in conformity with the
divifions made by European geologifts. But it may be placed
under this general head, until it has been extcnftvely examined.
Myron HoUey, Efq. a Canal Commiflioner, informed me, that fe-
veral varieties of this flratum frequently occurred along the
courfe of the great Wcflern Canal. The calcareous variety makes
an excellent cement for the locks, which hardens under water.
Specimens have been prefentcd to the Troy Lyceum, conhrming
Mr. Hollcy's ftatemtnt, which were colledlcd in Indiana.

f On the Heldcbcrg, in the town of Bern, N. York, I found
many petrifa<£lions of a culmiferous plant in the Silicious varie-
ty of this ftratum. Thefe arc molt abundant in and near a place
called Pucker-ftrccf.

46 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY

IV. SUPERINCUMBENT CLASS.

15. BASALT*

It confifls effentially of particles of horn-
blende, quartz and perhaps felfpar, fo extreme-
ly minute and fo intimately comminuted, that
it appears to be homogeneous. It generally
refts upon breccia or red fandflone, and is be-
neath greenftone trap. In our diftricl it is ge-
nerally of the amygdaloid variety — that is,
forming cavities refembling worm-holes in logs,
which are either empty or filled with carbonate

• It has been faid that wc have no bafalt in our diflridt. But
Bakcwell conGders the greenrtone trap as a variety of bafalt. I
have carefully compared fpecimens of bafalt from Scotland and
from Giant's Caufcway in Ireland, with thofeof Mount Holyoke
near Northampton and of Dcerficld, and I can difcovcr no cfTcn-
tial difference.

GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY. 47

«f lime, zeolite, &c. The mofl: decifive loca-
lities are at Deerfield and Northampton, Mafs.

IC. GREEXSTOA'E TRAP.

It confifls of grains of hornblende, felfpar
and generally quartz, aggregated together ;
but never too fine to be diltinguifhable by the
eye. It generally exhibits a columnar polyhe-
dral tendency. The mofl decifive localities are
at Deerfield and Northampton, Mafs. at New-
Haven, Con. and on Hudfon river above N.
York city.

48 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

V. ALLUVIAL CLASS.

17. GEEST*

It is that alluvial matter or foil, which feems
to have ever remained near the place where it
was firft formed. It conftitutes the earthy part
of foils on hills or low lands, which is not ge-
nerally very deep and was not derived from be-
ing waflied down from the place of its original
difmtegration. As this kind of alluvial is ge-
nerally formed at or near the place of its depo-
fite ; it confifts moflly of the broken and pul-
verized fragments of the prefent exifling rocks,
or of thofe which have recently pafl'ed away.
From an examination of it under the magnifier
we may determine with confiderable accuracy,
what rock has recently decayed in that particu-

* This term is ufcd by De Luc and defined by Jamefon at tlic
ipad page of the New-York Edition of Ciivicr's Theory of the
Earth.

GRAMMAR OF GEOLCGY. 49

lar Tpot. From an acquaintance witli the ex-
ifting rocks and by taking into view their homo-
geneous confHtuents, we may, on the other
hand, judge of the Toil which is now forming,

13. ALLUV'OX.

It is that alluvial depofite, which has been
wafhed down from places where it was origi-
nally formed. It is often very deep, and is
fometimes tranfported from a great diflance,
Confequently it is fometimes very difficult to
trace it back to the rocks from which it was
derived.* It being derived from various four-

* Tlic Hon. Samuel Young, Efq. one of the Car.al CoiT.iriii]:\)ii-
ers, fuggcfted to nic (wliiic I was giving a courfc of Aj;ricultura'
ktflures to the tnemUcrs of tht Icgiflaturc) that tlie bar;cu fantl-
planes wtfl of Albany might be traced to their origin. He ob-
fcrved.tliat lie had frctiuently been forcibly imprelTcd with what
sppeircd to be the very track of this vafl body of alluvial faiid,
13 it moved down from tli it extenfive range of gneifs rork, vvIh'cu
commences in Saratoga county, and extends wcflerly. On col-
leding fmall quantities from various parts of thefe barren fand.-;,
we found tlie quartzofc particles to be of that tranilucent hyaline
variety, forming a conditucnt of primitive rocks. Scal&i of mica
were also prefcnt, though in but fmal! quantities. It is probable
that the alluvial iflands at the mouths of great rivers mi^ht ge-
nerally be traced Iiack to their origin by attentively ftudying
their conflituent particlfs, and compiiring ihcm with fpccimens
of various rock ftrata mechanically pulverifcd.

E

oU GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

ces, and formed of various materials; thele
materials on meeting in a flate of folution or
fufpenfion in water, often form new indurated
compounds. Such as buhrftone,* flint, indu-
rated mar],puddingftone, &c. and feveral Ano-
malous aggregates. Thefe latter may be call-
ed alluvial rocks, and each may be denomina-
ted according to its conflituent elements.

Blocks and boulders are often found among
alluvial depofites, as well as lying loofe upon
bare rocks far out of place, which were neither
waflied there, nor formed like alluvial rocks.
Some geologifls account for their removals by
fuppofmg them to have been tranfported by
floating ice ; others by imagining them to have
been thrown up and fcattered abroad by that
power which burfi: forth beneath the granite,
and forced up the primitive rocks through the
upper ftrata.

The pebbles or gravel-ftones in alluvion are
always more or lefs rounded. Their rounded
forms are to be afcribcd to two caufco — to roll-

* Mr. Scl'.oolcraft and Mr. M'Cor.ihe found biihrftonc in Mis-
fouri

GUAM31AR OF GEOLOGY. bl

ing againfl each other by the adlon of water ;
and to there being more farface cxpofed to the
disintegrating agents* at the angles than at the
iides, in proportion to the quantity of matter.

* T lufe agents, water, air anJ change of temperature, when
jperating upon angular fragments, diflblvc or crumble ofFthtfe
points witii confidtrable rapidity. So thit they will, in time,
become rounded; if never rolled nor movent.

-5? GRAMMAR OP GEOLOGT.

GEOLOGICAL SITUATIOiNS

OF THE USEFUL

MINERAL SUBSTANCES.

h qUARRY STOyES.

Marble T Granular and

Limestone for quicklime. 5 ,. ^"If^

Primitive build-
ing-stone.

Tine-grained granite.

Slaty gneifs.
< Slaty hornblende rock.

Soapflone, talcofe rock,
^Serpentine.

C Argillaceous Hate.
Transition build- J Grayvvacke flate.
ING-STONE. I Imbedded fandftone.

[^ Red fandftone.

Plaister of Paris C^ ^
. ■{ Gvplum.

Alabaster. I ''

TrRAMMAR OF GEOLOGV.

2. COMBUSTIBLES.

Coal. Above the pofition of Red fandllone,
generally covered with bituminous
fhale or micaceous fandftone. It is
frequently near Compa£t limeftone.

Peat. In alluvial, where vegetable fubflances
are decompofed and mixed with
earthy matter, bitumen, kc.

Bitumen. Waflies out of alluvial formations
and forms a pellicle of the petroHum
variety on the furface of (landing
waters. It is ufually called mineral
oil.

Sulphur. It is moftly obtained from fulphu-
ret of iron, which abounds in argil-
laceous Hate, graywacke and fome
other rocks.

3. PRECIOUS STONES.

Topaz. In Granite and Gneifs,

E 2

o4 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

Emerald. In Granite.

,t
RuBELLiTE. In Granite.

Sapphire
Corundum

Probably all originally in Gra-
EiMtRY ^ ""^ Gneilsj but they are

j^'^.gY generally found in alluvion.

Chalcedony "^

Cornelian I t c • i i

e I in bupenncumbent rocks

OARDONIX > J «ii •

. I and Alluvion.

Agate )

Jasper agate. J

Jasper. In Argillaceous flate, Limeftone and
Grayv%acke.

Garnet. In Granite, Gneifs, Hornblende
rock, Mica-Hate, rarely in red fand-
flone and limeftone.

l^2uARTZ crystals. Ih all rocks ; perhaps
the moft perfedl in ArgilHte.

Diamond. In Alluvion. Note.— Though it
is placed among precious ftones it is
pure carbon j of courle combuftible.

GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY 55

f. METALS.

Gold. Moftly in veins of quartz in Granite
Gneifs and Hornblende rock. Some-
times in Metalliferous iimeftone and
Graywacke. It is found in fand of
brooks in North Carolina ; which
fand is probably from gneiss rock^

Platina. In fands of rivers. As it is ac-
companied by magnetic iron fand, it
is probably from Granite or Gneifs.

Silver. Moft in Metalliferous Iimeftone. Al-
io in Granite and Graywacke with
lead.

Mercury. In Argillaceous flate, Compa£l
Iimeftone with beds of bituminous
fhale, and in Alluvial clay.

Copper. In Granite, Gneifs, Hornblende
rock. Argillaceous flate, Metallife-
rous Iimeftone, Red fandftone and
Superincumbent rocks.

56 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

iRbN. In all ftrata. Moft at the Meeting of
Mica-Hate and Talcofe rock. Mag-
netic ore in Granite and Gneifs.
Argillaceous and hematitic ore in
compact limeftone and alluvion. Py-
rites is in all rocks, but moft in ar-
gillaceous flate and graywacke.

Lead. In Granite, Gneifs, Graywacke, Me-
talliferous limeftone* and rarely in
Compad limeftone.

riN. In Granite and Gneifs.

Zinc. In Granite, Gneifs and Compact lime-
ftone.

Nickel. In Hornblende rocks and Meteoric
ftones.

Cobalt. In Hornblende rocks and Compaft
limeftone.

* See Schoolcroft's view of the Lead mines of Miflbori.

tiRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY, 57

Manganese. In Gnelfs, rarely in Compact
Hmeftone.

Arsenic. In Gneifs, Hornblende rock, rare-
ly in Compact limeflone.

Bismuth. In Granite, Gneifs and Hornblende
rock.

Antimony. In granite, Gneifs, Hornblende
rock and Graywacke.

MoLYBDENA. In Granite and Gneifs.

Titanium. In Granite, Gneifs and Horn»
blende rock.

Tungsten. In Granite, Gneifs and Horn-
blende rock.

Uranium. In Granite.

Chrome. In Talcofe rock and Granular
Hmeftone, connefted with imbedded
Terpentine. It is in the ftate of an
acid combined with an iron bafe.

'^ %

5& ©RAMMAR OF GEOLOGY,

ALLUVIAL DEPOSITES

AS APPLIED TO

agriculture:

The earthy part of foils being formed of
broken and pulverized rocks, it depends en-
tirely on the conftituents of the rocks out of
which it is formed. Therefore the ftudy of
rocks is eflential to the ftudy of foils.

But as various falts, as well as other materi-
als, refulting from animal and vegetable decom-
pofitions, are intermixed with earthy foils, they
becorhe confiderably complicated.

Soils may be very naturally divided into three
parts. The gravelly and fandy part, the arg^il-
laceous part, and the foUible part.

AGRICULTURE. 6y

1. The Gravelly and Sandy part holds
no more water, than merely what adheres to
the furface of the particles. It neither takes up,
nor gives ofF, water with great rapidity. If the
gravel be pretty coarfe ; when moiftened, it re-
tains a moderate portion of moifture for a long
time. Forming a loofe porous foil, roots of
vegetables are not comprefled in it. But where
this kind of foil is in excefs, it is too loofe to
ferve as a fit medium for transfufing the proper
nutriment into the roots of vegetables.

2. The Argillaceous part abforbs a large
quantity of water, with which it becomes com-
bined throughout the mafs. In wet weather it
is much wetter and in dry weather much drier,
than gravelly foil. Confequently roots of plants
are furrounded with foft pafte at one time, and
comprefled with a dry indurated mafs at another.
It follows that a due mixture of thefe two kinds
of foil is very important to vegetation.

3. The Soluble part confifls of whatever
may be diflblved or fulpended for fome time in
water, at the common temperature. Mofl of
thefe fubflances are nutrinientous, and are par-

60 GRAMMAR OP GEOLOGl.

tially taken up and devoured by vegetables.
Thefe are falts, as muriate of lime, muriate of
foda, &c. carbonaceous matter, fuch as proceeds
from decompofmg culms and other parts of ve-
getables, as well as of animal matter, &c. This
part of foils is tranfitory and requires to be fre-
quently renewed.

In analyzing foils for practical ufe, thefe three
kinds fhould be feparated from each other, and
carefully weighed. The agriculturalifl will then
be enabled to afcertain the deficiencies in either
part, and wili of courfe be enabled to judge res-
pecting the application of a remedy. He mufl:,
however, take into view the quantity of moift-
ure furniflied by the fituation of particular fields.
A portion of foil (hould be felecled from various
parts of a field and from various depths ; then
duly mixed, fo as to give an average fpecimen.
This fhould be dried as much as it can be,
without burning fome dry pine fawdufl, which
fliould firfl; be mixed with it ; afterwards it
fhould be carefully weighed. It mufl then be
flirred in a tumbler of water, and afterwards per-
mitted to fland about five minutes. The gra-
velly and fandy part will fall to the bottom ;

AGKICULTURE. 61

the argillaceous part will remain fufpended in
the water fo much longer, as to form a diflin6l
flratum above it ; the foluble part will remain
in the fupernatant liquid over the argillaceous
ftratum.

After the five minutes, pour the liquid part
into another veflek Then in more water flir
up the gravel and argillaceous part again, and
in a few feconds pour into another vefiel the
argillaceous part, while it is ftill fufpended in
water, leaving the gravelly part. Next evapo-
rate each part to drynefs, making it as dry as
at firft. At laft weigh each part feparately ;
which will give the proportions required.

Pulverized limeftone is found to ferve the
double purpofe of an earthy ioil, and of exert-
ing a peculiar adion upon vegetables, fome-
what analogous to the flimulant eft'eds of gyp-
fum. It will be found chiefly among the gra<»
velly part, and may be deteded by its effer-
vefcence with acids.

This method will give the proportions of the
mod effential conftituents of foils, as it refpeds
p

o2 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

their fertility. A minute chemical analyfis may
often be defirable ; but fuch an analyfis will
rarely be of material ufe to the Agriculturalift.

The proportions of the gravel and fand to the
^lumine, in order to conftitute the mod fuitable
earthy foil, depends on the vegetables to be cul-
tivated. Wheat requires a larger proportion of
clay than Indian corn. Though the whole
culmiferous tribe require more clay than the
leguminous, cruciform or culinary tribes.

The bed practical method for afcertaining the
excellencies and defects of foils is, to analyze by
this method, fpecimens of foils known to be
good, and compare the refults with the refult
of an analysis of the foil in queftion.

VEGETABLE NUTRIMEAT.

Common marl, being a combination of clay
and limeftone, may be detected by its effer-
vefcence with acids. The richnefs of marls de-
pends on the proportion of carbonate of lime in
them. That part may be wholly decompofed
by diluted muriatic acid, fo as to form a limpid

AGRICULTURE. 6a

fupematant liquid, leaving the clay as a fedi-
ment. It will therefore be perceived, that the
proportions of thefe conftituents may be readily
afcertained.

The carbonaceous mixtures in foils ferve
while' cooling to abforb nutritious gases from
the atmofphere, and to give them oft" to roots-
of plants while warming. This is proved by
every practical chemift, by pafling charcoal, de-
compofed ftraw, &c. through njercury into the
various gases, which furnifli vegetable nutri-
ment. Such as carbonic acid gas and ammo-
nia ; both of which arc decompofed by vege-
table action, and one or both of their respective
conftituents incorporated with the fubftance
of living vegetables.

Though charcoal, remaining in coal-pit bot-
toms, endures for ages without material decay,
always performing the office of abforbing and
givmg off" the gases as before mentioned ; yet
loofe carbonaceous matter, as that which re-
fults from the decompofition of ftraw, &c. is
probably conveyed, in part, into the fubftance

64 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

of the plant. Confequently requires to be fre-
quently renewed.

Though earthy matters are often taken up
and conveyed into the fubftance of vegetables,
they may be confidered as accidental. No fub-
flance can be confidered as food for vegetables,
which cannot be brought to a liquid or gafeous
ftate at the common temperature. The gyp-
fum undoubtedly acts as a flimulus to the liv-
ing principle ; exciting, as it were, the appetite
of the plant to feize more greedily upon the
nutritious materials within its reach. Thefe
materials being principally furnifhed by the at-
mofphere, (particularly the carbonic acid gas,)
more carbonaceous matter is eventually added
to the foil in the roots of clover and fome other
vegetables, in confequence of the ftimulant ac=
tlon of the gypfum.

Moift earth abforbs the nutritious gases alfo.
Such as ammonia, carbonic acid gas, carburet-
ted hydrogen gas, SiC. This is proved alfo by
pafTmg up dry, and damp earth, through mer-
cury into different jars of the gases. This ex-

AGRICULTURE. C5

plains the caufe of the great ufe of frequent
hoeing and ftirring the foil near plants ; parti-
cularly in dry weather. The dried furface will
not abforb the gases which float in the atmos-
phere ; but the nioift foil, which is prefented
to the atmofphere by hoeing, abforbs them with
avidity, and prefents them to the fine fibrous
roots of plants.

F 2

G6 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY

ORGANIC RELICS.*

THESE foiTil relics are of two kinds. Pe-
KRiFACTiONS and Conservatives.

' This article is chiefly tranflated from Martin's SYSTEMA
RELiQUIORUM. Nothing more than a. mere skeleton is oflfcr-
td; and tliat with a view to direct the learner one or two flcps
towards the arrangement of his colledlions.

It is but one year (March, iSiC,) Cnce any pcrfon refidiiig in
the interior of our diflricl, liad any practical knowledge of Or-
ganic Relics. A fortunate incident at length prefented itfelf.
The jufHy celebrated Le Sueur, the friend and companion of Cu-
vier, was called to Albany to perform fome duties for the Com-
aiifficners for fettling the boundaries between the United States
ind Canada. Being perfonally introduced to him by ProfefTor
Mitchiil, who happened at Albany, I availed myfelf of the ad-
vantages of his inftrudlion for four weeks. Though my flock of
knowledge in this department of Nature is flill very limited, I
commuiiicated all I knew to the members of the Troy Lyceum
without delay. Being located in the vicinity of the Hcldebcrg,
and other localities rich in thefe ancient treafurcs ; very con-
fiderable advances have already been made by this iHflitution.
This sketch is intended to aid thefc inquiries in the mofl intcr-
ifling part of Geology, until fomcthing better fhall appear. A
work on this lubjcvfl is foon cxpecfted from John G. Bogcrt, Esq.
of Ncv.'-York, which will be adequate to the objcdl.

ORGANIC RELICS. 67

Petrifactions, or Substitutions, are
thofe relics, which are entirely made up of mi-
neral fubilanccs, which have gradually run in-
to the places occupied by organized bodies as
thofe bodies decayed, and afluraed their forms.

Conservatives, or Preservations, are
thofe relics, or parts thereof, which ftill confift
of the very fame fubftances, which originally
compofed the living organized being.

An organic relic may partake of both kinds.
The fhell of an oyfter, being chiefly carbonate
of lime, may ftill remain, which would be a con-
servative. While the enclofed animal matter
will be entirely decayed and mineral matter oc-
cupy its place and imitate its form, which would
be a petrifaction.

Organic relics are named by annexing the
termination lithos (a ftone) to the Icientific name
of the living organized being. As ichthyolithos
is compofed of ichthus (a fifh) and lithos (a
ftone.) That is, a fifti becoming a ftone. In
Englifti lithos is changed to lite, as ichthyolite.
Sometimes the letter / is left out j as lacerta

C8 GRAMMAI^OF GEOLOGY.

(lizard) would make lacertite (a petrified lizard.)
This abridged method has now come into ge-
neral ufe.

In order to prepare ourfelves for ftudying
organic relics, we muft attend to the claffifica-
tion of Animals and Vegetables, while in the
living ftate. It is not neceffary however, for
the prefent object, to go very far into thefe de-
partments of fcience.

I fhall follow Martin in dividing all organic
relics into nine Genera, eight of which belong to
the animal kingdom. Much the largeft pro-
portion of remains belong to Linneus* fixth
Clafs of Animals, which he denominates
Vermes.*

* Martin's Genera of Animal Relics, nearly correfpond with
the Clafles of living animals, excepting the Vermes. But he
places all the vegetable kingdom in one genus.

ORGANIC RELICS. 69

Of Organic Relics.

When we undertake to afcertain the name of
a relic, we firft determme to which of the nine
genera it belongs. Frequently we can go no
further for want of perfe£l parts, whereby to
afcertain the distinctive characters. Next we
fearch for the charaders on which are founded
the family name, then the fpecific name. At
laft we fearch for the fub-fpecies, if that fpecies
is fubdivided.

We mufl always be careful to ftop at that
ftep in the feries, where we are fure we have not
miftaken the distinctive chara£lers. For it is
better to (lop too foon, than to proceed to er-
ror. But we are not to expecl all the charac-
ters perfect in any fpecimen. We muft often
judge from one or two marks.

The firfl five genera are fo very rare in our
diftrid, (few in truth having been found at all)

70 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY

that I fhall merely give their generic charaders
and very fhort defcriptions.

Genus I. Mammodolite.

The Prototype* is the feparate bone or rarely
entire skeleton of an animal of that clafs, whofc
young are nourifhed by the milk of the dain«
Found in recent flrata only.

Genus II. Omitholite.

The Prototype is a feparate bone or bill of i
bird ; very rarely an entire skeleton. Found
in recent ftrata only ; but rather older than the
Mammodolites.

Genus III. AmphlbloUie.

The Prototype is the bone of an amphibious
animal ; fometimes the skeleton is found en-
tire. Sometimes it is a naked skeleton, and
fometimes there is more or lefs of the remains

" Prototype fignifies the original bone, or any other organized
rubnance, of which the relic is a reprefcntative in form.

ORGANIC KELICS. 71

of the fcalcs, crull or armoury. Generally in
recent (traia j but foinetiines not the moft
recent.*

Genus IV. IchthyoVUe.

The Prototype is a feparate bone or the en-
tire skeleton of a fifh, often covered with the
fcales. Generally in recent ftrata, but fome-
times not the mod recent. Often in marl and
bituminous fhale.

Genus V. EntomoUte.

The Prototype is the cafe or crull of an in-
fed ; fometimes entire and fometimes muti-
lated. Generally in recent ftrata ; though
fometimes even in the oldest fecondary.

Genus VI. Helniintholite.^

The Prototype is a worm or its inherent parts,
particularly the harder parts. Species of this

• The flefliy part of any animal of this genus, or of the two
preceding genera, has never been found petrified. The petrified
fnakes.fo often reputed to have been found, arc cornu-ammoHitct,
Of the genus Concbdite.

f I commcnct with this genus, and hereafter give i tranfatiou
of Martin almod entire ; becaufe fpecimens of thcfc four gcaera

72 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

rrenus are found in ftrata from the oldefl transi-

c

tion to the moft recent fecondary.

This genus embraces mofl: of thofe jointed,
rugged, cylindric relics ; Tome of which refem-
ble a fpinning-wheel whirl, others appear like
branching, jointed roots ; others are flattened
or deprefled and radiated or ftar-like.

N. B. Species of organic relics nearly anfwer
to the genera of living prototypes.

STIPED FAMILY.

The SPECIES of this family have a kind of
fliem or ftipe.*

Pennatultte. The Prototype of this ge-
nus in the living ftate is the fea-pen. The body
is folitary, elongated, ftiped, (freef) pinnate,

arc very abundant in our diflridl. The French Naturalifts have
fubdivided fcveral of thtfe fpccics ; but I am not iblc to give
their characSlers ; bcfides it is not ncceflary for this fliort ou*-
linc.

• All the technical terms arc defined in the Botaniral Diction-
ary, publiflied at Ntw-Havcn ; now in common ufe throughout
eur diflricft.

f Tint part of the dcfcriptions included in parcnthcfit, though
^ound in living fpccinicns, need not be fought in pctrifacflions.

ORGANIC Rt:LIC^. 73

with a little inner bone (numerous little bones
at the margin of the wings;) the wings are la-
teral, denticulate : flipe fubulate.

Encrinite. Bodies radiated (a little mouth
to each) and crowded together in umbels or
whorls : the common flipe is fimple and joint-
lefs, (furniflied with a callous membrane.) The
fpecimens are generally flrait and refemble
fpinning-wheel whirls. Very common in the
Heldeberg, alfo near Hudfon and Catsk:ll ;
particularly in the filicious fandftone, which ac-
companies compa6t limeflone.

Stylastritk. Body mod commonly ra-
diated, (contradile, contraded) ovate or round-
ifli, ftiped, (mouth central) no aperture be-
fides the mouth ; flipe columnar, perforated
lengthwife, (furnifhed with a central medulla)
often fending off lateral branches (floney;) ger
nerally jointed, with crenulate futures.*

Sub-species. Entrochite. Stipe terete,

* This Tpccics was taken from the fpccies Isiditc of the genus
Brifmitolite by Martin ; leaving thofe jointed cylindric relics
only, which arc longitudinally flriatcd between the joints.

74 /JRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

with branches alternate, remote, and joints with
circular grooves within ; disk radiate-ftriate :
central ligament or perforation compound-
ed from fix fiHform tubes, often producng
a cavity obfoletely 5-lobed. It refembles
knotted jointed roots. Very abundant in Beth-
Jehem caverns at the foot of the Heldeberg.

SuB:!!PEciES. Pentacrinite. Stipe an-
gular, branches in whorls : disk of the joints
marked with flellate forms, compofed of five
crenate oval rays. The central perforation
fimple. Martin fays, this and the preceding
fub-fpecies are found every where in lime ftra-
ta ; but that entire fpecimens, unbroken, can
hardly be found.

Si/E'SPEciEs. Anthocephalite.* Stipe
long-turbinate, jointlefs, fimple. Whether the
body is five-cornered and five-toothed is doubt-
ful. Found in the Heldeberg, but it is very
abundant in Becraft's mountain near Hudfon.

• Le Sueur labelled my fpecimens of this fub-fpecic<,Caryophil.
lite. But Martin fays, this n»mt is given to a very diflcrcnt !!▼-
ing genus af worms; therefore he adopts this fubflitutc.

OliGAXiC llUAi

SriPELESS F.IMILY.

The Species of this family are fomewhat
globular, or deprefled like a flattened garden
Iquafh.

AsTERiTE. Body deprefled (coriaceous)
often ftellate, prickly, fomewhat torulofe :
mouth central, having no other aperture.

EcHiNiTE. Body roundifli (covered) cruft
bony, fpiny (fpines moveable) : mouth below.
I have feen a fpecimen found in Hunt-ville, in
the fl:ate of Ohio.

Genus VII. ConchoiiU .

The Prototype is a fliell, produced by a uio-
lufcous or foft animal deftitute of jointed limbs.
Species of this genus are found in fl:rata, from
the oldeft: tranfition rocks to the mofl: recent
fecondary.

Tliis genus embraces the relics of proper fiiell
animals ; as of barnacles, oyfl:ers, fnails, &c.

GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY

MULTIVALVE FAMILY.

The Prototypes of Species of this family
Gonfift: of Ihells of more than two valves.

Chiton iTE. Valves often eight, rarely fe-
ven or Hx, tranfverfely oblong, lying on the
back.

Lepadite. (Shell with the bafe affixed to
Ibme other body.) Valves many, unequal,
ered ; the little valves crowded together. The
living prototype is called the barnacle.

Sub-species. Balanite. Moftly feffile,
conic, the aperture terminal (having a lid.)

Pholadite. Principal valves two, divari-
cate, with acceffory irregular little valves, hinge
recurved.

BIVALVE FAMILY.

The Prototypes of the Species of this family
confift of (hells of two valves. Probably nine-

ORGANIC RELICS. 77

tenths of all the organic relics in our diftrid be-
long to this family.

Myite. Valves moflly equal,* unequilate-
ral, often tranfverfely ovate, gaping at ei-
ther extremity. (The hinge, moftly, with one
folid, thick, fpreading tooth, not inferted into
the oppofite valve.)

SoLENiTE. Valves mollly equal, unequila-
teral, oblong, gaping at both extremities.
(Hinge with a fubulate, reflexed tooth, often in
pairs, not inferted into the oppofite valve.)
Auilin Abbot, Efq. found one fpecimen near
Hudfon. It is now in the Troy Lyceum.

Tellinite. Valves moflly equal, unequi-
lateral, tranfverfely ovate or fuborbiculate, to-
wards the forepart it is bent to one fide.
(Hinge with three teeth, the fide of one valve
flat.)

■ Valves arc equal, when they arc fimilar in form and fizc ; as
he two hdes of the commoa clam-lhell. They are tinequiluteral ,
when what lies towards the edges on each fide of the hioge i»
not equal; as tiic common clam-nieil alio.

G 2

78 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

Cardite. Valves equal, fomewhat equi-
lateral, fub-orbiculate, moftly very convex, long-
itudinally ribbed, flriate or furrowed ; margin
toothed. (Hinge with middle teeth in pairs,
alternating with each other in the oppofite
valves, one generally incurved.)

Mactrite. Valves equal, unequilateral,
tranfverfely ovate, or three-cornered. (Hinge
with the middle tooth folded in with an adjoin-
ing cavity, lateral ones inferted remotely.)

DoNACiTE. Valves equal, unequilateral,
often ovate or wedgeform, margin moflly cre-
nulate, very obtufe at the forepart. (Hinge
with two teeth.)

Venerite. Valves equal, unequilateral, of-
ten ovate orbiculate, lips with a fore margin.
(Hinge with three teeth (landing near each oth-
er and diverging.) I found one in Blenheim
in graywacke.

Spondylite. Valves unequal, unequi-
lateral, often fuborbiculate, rigid, fometimes a
little auricled. (Hinj^iewith two teeth, recurv-
ed, with an intermediate cavity.)

ORGANIC RELICS. 79

Chamite. Valves often fubequal, moftly
unequilateral, roundifh, thick. (Hinge callous
gibbous, inferted obliquely into an oppofite ca-
vity.) I found one fpecimen in the Heldeberg
in the filicious fandftone.

Arcite. VaK;es equal, unequilateral, ob-
long or roundifh ; hinge generally ftrait, rarely
curved. (Hinge with numerous teeth.)

OsTRACiTE. Valves unequal, unequilate-
ral, not aurickd, rough, moftly lamellated, not
radiated, oblong, generally narrowing a little
towards the hinge. (Hinge toothlefs.) I
found one very fair fpecimen in the filicious
fandftone in the Heldeberg \. and I faw hun-
dreds of a very large fize at Glen's Falls in Sa-
ratoga county.

Pectinite.* Valves auricled, radiated,
equilateral ; hinge ftrait. The ftrait hinge is

• Martin makes this a fub-fpecies of Oftracitc, following Lin-
neus. But the French naturalifts makt it a diftincl genus among
living fpecimcns ; of courfe a diftincft fpecies among relics.

There are feveral varieties of PeAinites and Anomites in our
4iflri(£t, which, for the prefent, may be diflinguiihed by a dt-
frriptive adjective ; as Cordate, Ovate, &c.

so GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

the beft character In petrifa6tions. Very abun-
dant in the Heldeberg, Hudfon, Catskill,
Glen's Falls, &c.

Ancmite. Valves unequal, equilateral j the
point of one valve extending beyond the other
at the hinge, either ftrait or incurved. The
mofh common of all relics in the Northern
ftates. In the Heldeberg it is often found very
large. Sometimes the infide prefents appear-
ances, which are miilaken for tortoife fliells,
deer's hoofs, &c. by the common people.

Sub-species. Gryphite. One valve flat-
ti(h, the other much curved at the hinge. With
fhaHow rays or none. Very abundant in the
Heldeberg.

Sub-species. Terebratulite. Valves
both convex, radiated with grooves, often large
and deep, upper one becoming much narrower
near the hinge and curved. Verv common in
the Heldeberg, Hudfon, Catskill, Glen's Falls,
on the fhores of Lake Ontario, &c.

Mytilite. Valves equal, unequilateral, ob-
liquely or longitudinally ovate, rough. I found

ORGANIC RELICS. 81

one in graywacke in Blenheim, and Mr. Cyrus
M. vStebbins found one near Hudfon. Both are
in the Troy Lyceum.

Sus-spicjEs. Margaritiferite. Valves
auricled, fomewhat comprefTed j hinge flrait,
extended.

PiNNiTE. Valves subequal, unequilateral
ered, triangular, gaping, often rough-fcaly

UNIVALVE FAMILY.

The Prototypes of the Species of this famir
ly confift of fhells of a fmgle piece, as the fnail-
fhell.

Nautilite, Shell chambered with perfo-
rated partitions, chambers numerous.

Sub-species. Ammonite. Spiral, with the.
apex in the center, fometimes a little elevated,
fometimes depreffed. Found rarely at the Hel-
deberg, Lake Ontario, &c.

• At Icaft three-fourths of all the organic reh'cs conftitutiog
the Hcldcbcrg, Glen's Falls in Saratoga county, and Becraft's
mountain at Hudfon, are Pcclinitcs and Aaoraitct with the fuk-
rpecic?.

82 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

Sub-species. Rectiusculite. Strait a
little diflance, and fpiral near and at the apex.
Augudus Jacket, P^fq. fliewed me feveral large
fpeciinens found at Sacket's Harbor.

Sub-species. Orthocerite. Strait from
the bafe to the apex, and chambered all the way.
This has the appearance of the vertebrae of ani-
mals. Very abundant and large near Lake
Ontario. Common in the Heldeberg and
fometimes found at Hudfon. One was found
in argillaceous flate at the north end of Troy.

Sub-species. Belemnite. Strait, elon-
gated ; having a conic chambered cavity at the
bafe, but folid at and towards the apex.

Sub-Species. Trilobite.* Bafe three-
lobed ; from the bafe to near the apex the body
appears as if longitudinally divided into three
rows of chambers. Called petrified miller by
the common people when fmall ; when large
they confider it the petrified ribs of animals.
Very abundant in Becraft's mountain near Hud-

• This fub-fpecies is not dcfcrlbcd by Martin; neither have 1
fcen a dcfcription of it. I drew thi« defcription from my fpcci-
Ticns, which were labelled by Lc Sueur.

UKGANIC KFXICS. 83

Ibn, both in graywacke and compa£t limeflone.
It is frequently tound at the Heldeberg alio.

CoNiTE. Shell convolute, turbinate ; aper-
ture effufe, linear, toothlels, entire at the bafe.
columella fmooth.

Cypraeite. Shell involute, ovate, fmooth ;
aperture effufe at both ends, linear, toothed both
fides.

Bullit::. Shell convolute, fmooth ; aper-
ture contracted, oblong, running lengthwife,
entire at the bafe ; columella oblique, fmooth.

VoLUTiTE. Shell fpiral ; aperture without
any beak, fomewhat eiiufe : no lip on the inner
fide of the aperture. We have received at the
Troy Lyceum very minute fpecimens, in lenti-
cular argillaceous iron ore, trom the fouth fide
of Lake Ontario, prefented by A. Cole, Efq.

BucciNiTE. Shell fpiral, gibbous; aper-
ture ovate, terminating in a channel twifled to
the right : inner lip fpread, fmooth. j

Strombite. Shell fpiral, enlarged towards
one fide : aperture ofter. with a fpread brim,
terminating hi a canal turning to the left.

84 GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

MuRiciTE. Shell fpi'ral, prickly with mem«.
branaceous futures : aperture terminating in an
tntire canal, flrait or fomewhat afcending.

Trochite. Shell fpiral, fomewhat conic :
aperture fomewhat four-cornered, tranfverfe
above, contracted : columella oblique. A fpe-
cimen was fent to the Troy Lyceum by the Rev.
N. M. Wells, found at Sacket*s Harbor.

TuRBiNiTE. Shell fpiral: aperture con-
traded, orbicular, entire. This fpecies is often
miflaken for the ammonite ; but it may be dis-
tinguifhed by its elevated apex and want of
tranfverfe partitions between chambers. Fre-
quently found in the Heldeberg, near Hudfon,
<at Glen's Falls, &c,

Helicite. Shell fpiral ; aperture contraft-
ed, lunate or roundifh within, or the fegment
of a circle cut off. It is deprefTed, globof<^
ovate, or fomewhat conic.

Kerite. Shell fpiral, gibbofe, flattifh be-
neath : aperture fuborbicular ; lip of the colu-
mella tranfverfe, truncate, flattifh.

Haliotite. Shell earform, fpreading :

WKGAMC KELICS. Sj

ipire concealed, lateral : disk longitudinally
perforated with pores.

Patelhte. Shell fubconic, without any
fpire.

Dentalite. Shell tubular, free, perforat-
ed or pervious at both ends, without a fpire,
flrait.

Serpulite. Shell tubular, adnate, often
contorted, entire at one extremity.

Genus YIII. Erismalol'Ue.

The Prototype is the prop, fupport or habi-
tation of a worm or kind of polypus, which
was produced by itfelf. Found in all ftratu
from the Graywacke to the mod recent rock.

This genus embraces thofe relics, which, iri
die living ftate, are called Corals and Corallines,

COKiL FAMILY.

The Species of this family have the fupport
or habitation outfide of the animal, and it is ger
nerally pretty thick and ftrong,
H

«G GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

TuBiPORiTE. , Habitations tubular, ftoney,
often aggregated : tubes moflly conneded by
partitions, or tubular branches.

Madreporite. Support or habitation fto-
ney : cells or naked habitations ftellate with ra-
diating laminae.

SuB-SF£ciES, Reteporite. Surfacc pre-
fenting a checked net-like appearance. Found
at the Heldeberg. 1 have no defcription of this;
but my fpecimen was labelled by Le Sueur.

SUB-SFECIES, FUNGO-MADREPORITE.* (Ma-

drepora simplca,) Support fmgle : laminae in
a fingle fet of rays. Profeflbr Silliman has a
very perfecl fpecimen ; it appears like a com-
mon agaric, with a concave pileus or cap.

Sub-species. Cornu-madreporite. Sup-
port with its lam.ellar longitudinal rays horn-

forni. Very abundant in the Heldeberg, at
Hudfon, Lake Ontario, &c.

* Martin fays, tliis has been clcfcri'icd Iiy fDrnc autliors as a
petrified a ^aric : but that fiich a pttriladtiuu has never beer.

ORGANMC RELICS. ^7

Sub-species. Areo-madreporite. Stalk
Hirub-like.

Sub-species. Cumulo-madrsforite.
Stalks united together, often forming an entire
mafs ; fometimes they are more or lefs diflind.*

MiLLEPORiTE. Habitation ftoney : cells irv
the form of pores. Often branched.

Celleporite. Habitation fomewhat (1q-
ney : cells cup-form. Very abundant in the
Heldeberg and near Lakes Ontario, Erie, &c.

Alveolite. Habitations floney, covering
other bodies, or in a fimple mafs, formed of
concentric layers which are compoled each of
an union of numerous alveoles. The alveoles
are very fhort, contiguous, reticulate and gene-
rally parallel.

Favosite. Habitation ftoney, limplc, of a
variable form ; compofed of parallel, prifmatic,
fafcicled tubes, which are five or fix-fided.f
Called petrified wafp-nefts. Very abundant in

• The/c may be conlJdcred rather as defcriptivc, than tcchjil'
cai,' names.

t I took thcfe two laft defcriptior.s from Say's excellent art>i>Jf

8C GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

the Heldeberg. Fafcicular Favofite, is calltd a.
petrified knot at Lake Ontario.

CORJLLLXE FAMILY.

The Species of this family have the fup--
port outfide of the animal, and it is generally
very {lender and often branching.

Sert UL ARiTE. Support often jointed
(horn-like) fhrubby, tubular : receptacles dis~
pofed often laterally, cup-form or teeth-form.

TuBULARiTE. Support oftcu jointed (horn-
like) tubular : tubes continued or branched, of-
ten jointed : mouths terminal,

Flustrite. Support often continued, foli-
aceous, compofed of an united feries of ringent
cells.

CoRALLiNiTE. Support jointed, often di-
chotomous (filamentofe :) porous on the out-
fide (calcareous.) Very abundant at Glen's
Falls in Saratoga county. Perhaps a variety in

on Foffil Zoology in tlic American Journal of Science pages jSj

and 384.

ORGANIC RELICS. 8^

red fandftone on Cattsklll mountains, in Blen-
heim near the head of the Delaware, &c.

CRUSTY FAMILY.

The Prototype of this family confifts of a
woody or ftoney ftalk, covered with a bark-like

cruft.

IsiDiTE. Support (ftoney) flirubby, jointed
between the knots ; joints longitudinally flriat-
ed. I found one imperfed fpecimen in the
Heldeberg. Capt. Dowd prefented a fmall,
but very well characterized, fpecimen to the liy-
ceum, from near Genefee river.

GoRGONiTE. Support (woody, teftaceou:^
}y horn-like) fhrubby, continued.

F.UIILY DOUBTFUL

Alcyonite.* Support is a proper ftipe,
with a pileus or cap compofed of radiating tubes.
In form it refembles a ftiped agaric. One fpe-
cimen found in Bethlehem cavern by Mr. A. P.
Heartt was prefented to the Troy Lyceum.

• This fpecics wa» labelled by Le Sueur. As I cannot procure:
the French defcription, I am compelled to defcribe it from the
external appearance of the fpecimen. This may fcrve until foFm?-
thing better appears.

H 1

80 ' GRAMMAR OF GEOLOGY.

Genus IX. PhytoUte.

Prototype feme part of a plant j either root,
trunk or leaf.

MusciTE. Some part of a mofs. Stem
diftind, filiform : leaves fimple, generally
crowded together, imbricate, feffile.

FiLiciTE. Some part of a Fern. Leaves
iiioflly pinnate or pinnatified. Very fine fpeci-
inens found at the Rhode-Ifland coal mines.

Gramimite. CuUn moftly jointed : leaves
limple, lance-linear. The culms of an unknown
i'pecies of grafs I found in the Heldeberg, in
fllicious fandftcne.

Palmite. Body of the ftem or root fimple
vith the apex leafy.

Lignite. The body or limb of a tree. We
have excellent fpecimens from the Mobile in
ihe Troy Lyceum. Alfo tolerable fpecimens
embraced in calcareous tufa from near the weft
boundary line of Madifon county, N. York.

Rhizolite. Any part of a root. We
have a fpecimen in the Lyceum, embraced in
€alcareous tufa from the fame locality as the
Taft above.

INDEX

TO TUC

Geology of I he "Sorlhern States^
I. PRIMITIVE CLASS.

S T R A T U M 1.
GRANITE.

Spe7icer Range*

THE granite of the Northern States may be
divided into five ranges. This will not embrace
the granite of the State of Maine, nor the
(hort patches near the eaftern fhores of Mafla-
chufetts above and below Bofton Harbor.f A

* I fhall diflinguifli the ranges by the names of the towns
through which they pafsinthc lincof our fedlion ; which is laid,
to as to average a few minutes north of the 4% ' of N. Latitude.
A very broad belt, from ten to forty miles is taken into view for
fixing the order of Qrata.

f McfTrs. Danas fay, that no formation of granite is found in
the vicinity of Bofton.

92 GRANITE.

faithful view of thefe ranges, however, will be
abundantly fufficient for prefenting the fcience
of Geology, in that elementary form, which is
intended in this Index.

The broadeft and the mofl: uniform in its
breadth of all the five ranges given in our fee-
tion, is that which pafles through the town of
Spencer, Mafs. The White Hills of New-
Hamplhire, which M. Rafinefque calls the Nu-
cleus of New-England, belong to this range.
The extent of the granite, in that vafl pile of
mountains (which has not yet been traverfed by
a SaulTure) is not afcertained. From the beft
obfervers we learn, that it is principally Gneifs.

This range commences on both fides of Con-
necticut river at its mouth. Inclining a little
eafterly, it leaves that river to the weft, near
the north bounds of the town of Haddam. It
holds a great breadth as it extends northerly
through the towns of Bolton, Stafford, &c. Con.
Brimfield, Sturbridge, Spencer, &c. Mafs. On
its courfe through New-Hampfhire to Canada
it varies its breadth confiderably. Sometimes
approaching near to Connedicut river ; at oth-

&RANITE. 9»

ei'S leaving confiderable breadth for the tranfi-
&ion and fecondary clafles on its eaitern fhore.

Wherever 1 have examined this range it is
generally very coarfe-grained and of the grey
variety. Though elegant fpecimens with the
flefti-coloured felfpar frequently occur. In
Haddam the felfpar is of a beautiful pearly
white ; and often in blocks of more than a foot
in extent. The mica is varioufly coloured, and
frequently very beautiful.*

At Saybrook Profeffor Silliman found well-
ehafaderifed fpecimens of lamellar fulphuret of
molybdena in this rock. In Haddam Col.
Gibbs and Mr. Silliman have difcovered vafl
quantities of beryl, fome emerald and chryfo-
beryl. Mr. Mather found a cryftal of beryl
here nine inches in diameter. I colle6led
here about fifty elegant fpecimens of beryl,
fome of them very large, one fine fpecimen of
emerald and confiderable chryfoberyl, for the

• My fon, A. B. E. found at Haddam a fpecimen of fi!vcr-co-
loured mica with a jet-black belt traverfing the fame pbtes. AU
fo a mafs of heiahedral cryftais of mica two inches in diameter'
with four of the fides pcrfcift and anbroken. They are now in
the Troy Lyceum.

■34 GRANITE.

Troy Lyceum, notwithftanding many cabinets
had previoully been fupplied from the fame lo-
cality.

In Brimfield I found the mod beautiful adu-
laria fubftituted for felfpar in both granite and
gneifs. Small four-fided cryftais of zircon^
terminated by four-fided pyramids, of the co-
lour of fmoky quartz were found in connexion
with the adularia in a wall near the refidence of
the late General William Eaton, by his daugh-
ter.* Lamellar fcales of plumbago are often
difleminated in granite and gneifs in Brimfield
and Sturbridge ; and Dr. A. Lincoln found
fulphuret of molybdena in granite in the weft-
ern part of Brimfield. In the White Hills of
New-Hamplhire at Rofebrook's Gap, Col.
Gibbs found green iiuate of lime.

Throughout the whole extent of this range,
as far as I have examined, it paffes laterally un-
der the gneifs both to the eaft and weft.

• Jamcfon found zircon in giicifs. J?ee Brute's Journal, pngc
^^i. And ] have one fpccimen of gncift found in Brimlicld coa-
taiuing zircon.

GRANITE. -^o

Shrewsbury Range.

Proceeding eafterly, the granite appears again
in Shrewsbury, call oF Worcefler. This range i?
remarkably fine-grained, and of a light grey co-
lour. It yields to the chiflcl fo readily, that it
it is much ufed for building-flone. It extends
into New-Hainpfhire acrofs the Merrimack,
river ; down which and the canal vail quanti-
ties are tranfported to the State-Prifon, where it
is manufactured by the convifts for the Boflon
market. It has now become fo common for
buildings, flagging fide-walks, ftreet-pofts, pil-
lars, &c. in the town of Bofton, that an eaftern
traveller, on vifiting it, might fancy himfelf
tranfported to Grand Cairo in Egypt.

This range finks under the gneifs towards
the eaflern part of Shrewsbury and does not
rife again weft: of the Atlantic, in the courfe of
our fedion.

Northampton Range.

Returning on our fe<5lior. to the weft:» the
granite finks under the gnciis near the ealtera

$b GrRANlTJ£.

part of Brookfield. It appears frequently in
deep vallies at various intervals much farther
to the weft. There is one direction, where the
granite of the Spencer range, can be traced
along under the other ftrata and under Con-
nedicut river, entirely into the Northampton
range. Though it cannot be feen all the way,
we fall in with it at fuch intervals and in fuch
relations, that the moft fceptical will not doubt.
The beft courfe for this examination lies from
Brookfield northwefterly to Leverett, thence to
Whately and Williamsburg. The gneifs and
the higher ftrata cover the granite, excepting
in the deep valleys and at other low levels. It
difappears entirely for a little diftance, when it
pafTes under the fecondary ftrata and under
Connecticut river.

The Northampton range commences in the
ftate of Connecticut and may be a branch of
the Hinfdale range ; or rather this and the
Hinfdale range probably fpring from the fame
root weft of New-HaVen. 1 have no doubt but
the granite at Canton in Connecticut belongs
to this range. I have traced it from near Con-
necticut line in Southwick along the weft bounds

OKANITE. 5?

«t WefttieiJ, near the eafl: bounds of Montgo-
mery and the weft of Southampton, near the
weft bounds of Northampton, and into Hat-
field and Whately. Here it difappears by dip-
ping under the higher ftrata ; and it is fupoos-
ed to rife again near the fouth Hne of Vermont.

Ahhough I do not intend to account for any
of the errors of the firft edition of this Index,
but to prcfent fadls as I now underftand them ;
yet as a range of granite paiTmg through Ches-
terfield has been adopted by many learned
American geologifts, it will be expe6:ed that I
Should give my reafons for this innovation.

After examining the granite in Cheflcrneld
and Goftien very attentively, I find that it is al-
ways in the form of veins traverfing gneifs.
The large mafs in Chcfterfield village, which
feems to have given character to the whole fup-
pofed range, is certainly a mere vein, cnclofed
by diftinclly characterized gneifs walls. This
fubjeft requires no train of reafoning ; I affert
the fa6t and invite geologifts to countenance or
oontradict me, after infpecling the rock. Even
the vaft bed of granite two miles northwefterly

dS URANITE.

tVom Cheflerfield village, mentioned by Col.
Gibbs* as traverfed by " a falfe vein of filici-
ous felfpar and quartz," is itfelf a vein travers-
ing gneifs. Col. Gibbs fays, the bed of granite
in Gofhen, fix miles north of Cheflerfield,
which contains the blue tourmaline, rofe mica,
kc. has not been difcovered. If the range of
loofe rocks in which they are found be purfued
northerly a confiderable diftance, I think it
becomes pretty evident, that thofe fragments
proceeded from a vein in gneifs. Though I
confefs we are compelled to reafon from analo-
gy in a great meafure.

I have obferved, that veins of granite, when
found in gneifs, abound in tourmaline, and the
faireft fpecimens of mica, and often contain be-
ryl. Such is certainly the fact in Haddam and
Litchfield, Con. and in Cheflerfield and Go-
fhen, Mafs. While the oldeft granite, as that
in the Spencer range, prefents but few fpecimens
of tourmaline, and the mica is generally of but
one variety.

I had much difficulty in adjufling primi-

' S;c Amrricaa Journal of Science, page J48.

GRANITE. 99

tive rocks in New-England in fyftematic or-
der, while I confidered thofe vafl: veins as indi-
cating the place of granitic flrata. But fince
I have attempted to feparate veins from ftrata.
all the difficulties are obviated.

I will point out to the reader another locality,
which I think will very clearly illuftrate this
pofition. In Gofhen, one mile eaft of the blue
tourmaline locality, mentioned by Col. Gibb&,
in an open field, a little to the fouth of a Bea-
ver-pond, is a gncifs rock, laid bare to a con-
fiderable extent. Here is a vein of very coarfe
grey granite, fair to the view, from fix to twelve
feet wide with almoft an even furface, and feve-
ral rods in length ; vertical and embraced be-
tween walls of very diftinctly characterized
gneifs. Veins of this kind, though not of equal
extent, appear near Leicefler Academy ; alfo
traverfing hornblende rocks in Belchertown. '■

* Extra(ft from a letter to Dr. A. Robblns, the Correfponding
Secretary of the Troy L\ceuni, w}.ich I wrote, while acSting as
Collcifling Agent — dated Danbury, Con. Nov. 19, 1818: " Much
IS yet to be done, before even the outhnes of the Geology of this
country is fettled. Among other fubjeifls the granite itfelf fcems
to be too incorrigible to fubmit to the Wcrncrian arrangement.
Ah-r I am better prepared 1 intend to remark extenQvcJy upon

lou granite:

This range feems to He very near the furface.
For it frequently appears in large patches where
the upper ftrata feem to have paffed away.
Dr. David Hunt, who has every mineral in this
part cf the ftate at his call, conducted me to a
quarry of the fine-grained granite, but a fmall
diftance wefterly from Northampton village.

The lead mines of Southampton and Hatfield
are in this range. Mr. Hitchcock found lead
ore, with moft of the accompanying minerals
which are found in the Southampton mines, at
Whately and Leverett. This affords one of the
bed evidences, that this range of granite paiTes
under Connedicut river, fupporting the upper
fecondary and alluvial formations.

Where this range pafles along the weft bounds
of Weftfield, four miles weft of the Academy,
in the woods north of the Ruflel road, I dis-
covered a very extenfive bed of ferpentine, em-

this flratum. At prefcnt I am compelled to ftate, that wherever
I have examined, it appears rather in veins traverGng gneifa and
hornblende rock, than as a diniiirt flratum. 1 do not feel in-
':lined to any fuch new dotftrinc. I merely inteud to confcfs,
that after much minute invcftigation for three years part, I am
flill cmbnrrafTcd uith this part of the fydem of arrangcmf nt

GRANITE. iOl

braced in granite. It is exactly upon M'Clure'^
Springfield geological fection. The furface of
the Terpentine exhibits the deftruclive effedls of
difintegration. Bat on examining it in the fis-
sures, it appears to be fijfficiently compadl for
quarrying. I have no doubt it will, at fome
future day, become a profitable quarry. To-
wards the fouth end of the bed, beautiful talc is
rery abundant.

In the lead mines of Southampton, Dr. Hunt,
Col. Gibbs, Profefibr Silliman and Dr. Mcadc
have found many interefting minerals. Sul-
phate of barytes, fulphuret of zinc, fulphatc of
zinc, fulphuret of copper, fulphuret of lead, ful-
phate of lead, muriate of lead, molybdatc of
lead, fluate of lime, beautiful radiated quartz,
&c. Mod of thefe minerals have been difcover-
ed at Hatfield alfo. Mr. Silliman obferves,
that this vein extends from Montgomery to
Hatfield, a difiance of twenty miles. Bruce's
Journal, page 64. Mr. Hitchcock has now
traced it to Whately and acrofs Connedicut
river to Leverett. I have traced the fame gra-
nitic range and found it embraced fimilar im-
bedded minerals, nearly to the fouth bounds of
I 2

l'>± CUANITE.

the (late of MalTachufetts. Although I diTcover-
ed no lead fo far fouth ; I think, from a con-
fideration of the minerals with which the lead
is aflbciated, that it is probable the vein extends
nearly acrofs the ftate of MalTachufetts, and per-
haps farther.

Hinsdale Range.

Proceeding to the weft, the Northampton
range of granite pafles under the gneifs, and
appears again near the foot of the mountain of
Peru on the weft fide, in the town of Hinfdale.
ilere as well as at Northampton we have a
Ipecimen w^hich is fatal to that part of Werner's
theory, which requires that the granite ftiould
be the higheft in fimilar fituations. The gra-
nite fupports the gneifs on its eaftern fide, feve-
veral hundred feet higher than itfelf. A fimilar
relation between thefe two ftrata is prefented in
Saratoga county, which will be defcribed here-
after.

The Hinfdale range of granite commences on
the weft fide of Houiatonic river, a little north
of Bridgeport, in Connc(flicut; and extends in a

GRANITE. lOii

northerly dircftion, probably uninterrupted, un-
til it pafles the bounds of Canada. I have
traced it through mod of Litchfield county, and
find it pafles out of the flate through Norfolk.
I have purfued the fame range acrofs MafTachu-
fetts ; and Dr. Edwin James has traced it thence
mofl of the way to Canada. It is very ftrange,
that feveral publications have located the fouth-
ern extremity of this 'primitive range m Weft
Rock, at New-Haven ; which is greenftone
refting on red sandftone. Such random gues-
ses, given as fads, are very injurious to the
fcience.

Moft of this and the Northampton ranges
are remarkable for being at a lower level than
the gneifs and hornblende rocks. Sometimes
they are, even lower than the mica-flate and tal-
cofe rock. It prefents all the varieties of co-
lour and texture. In Litchfield county. Con,
we find the felfpar pearly white and bright flefh
red. Alfo the moft beautiful fpecimens of gra-
phic granite ; particularly in the town of Beth-
lehem. Where it crofles our feclion at Hins-
dale the felfpar is generally dirty white. In
Adams, twenty miles north of Hinfdale, the

104 GaAMTE.

quartz is purpHfli blue ; and fometimes the fel-
fpar is a bright blue. Fragments of the latter
variety have been found, of feveral hundred
pounds weight, in the alluvion near Troy j more
than thirty miles out of place.

Near the fouthern extremity of this range, in
the town of Huntington, Con. Mr. Silliman
found in it, tungften, tellurium, native bis-
muth, &c. In Litchfield county, Mr. John P.
Brace conducted me to localities, where it con-
tained beryl, fmoky quartz, tremolite, chalce-
dony, petro-silex, fhorl, &c. ; but the principal
rock in this county is gneifs, and it generally
contains fimilar minerals to thofe found in gra-
nite. In Woodbury it contains magnetic iron
pyrites, and in Roxbury carbonate of iron ;
though probably the latter mineral is in a vein
of granite in gneifs.

I have feen feveral very interefting minerals
from this range in the ftate of Vermont. But
little authentic account of particular localities
has been received. Dr. Edwin James prefented
to the Troy Lyceum an aggregated mafs, from
this range in the town of Charlotte, of pearly

GRANITE. lOi

white felfpar, whitifh quartz, green augitc,.
green and red coccolite and laminated plumba-
go. This had been long ago difcovered by
Profefibr Hall as the locality of coccolite ; and
it feems that the celebrated Rogers' Rock is
ehiefiy a mafs of a fimilar aggregate. But I
had never before feen fuch large cryftals of
green augite. Dr. Wells received a fpecimen,
from Rogers* Rock containing one flender
tranfparent cryftal. He alfo received, and pre-
fented to the Troy Lyceum, a fpecimen of na-
tive bifmuth, which was picked up in a fmall
creek near Ticonderoga. This probably pro-
ceeded from one of the granite rocks in that vi-
cinity. But whether from the eaftern or weftr
em range, it is difficult to determine.

The granite of New-York liland has never
been traced, to my knowledge, fo far as to as-
certain to which range it belongs. Whether it
is an interrupted fpur from the Hinfdale range,
diverging from it in the fouthwefl part of Con-
neclicut, or infulated and independent, I can at
prefent obtain no means of determining. It
feems to be accompanied by gneifs, fienite, mi-
ca-flate, talcofe rock, granular limeftone, &c.

106 GRANITE.

It prefents feveral varieties. Dr. John Torrey
has fhown me fpecimens of the red and grey ;
and the Rev. F. C. Schaeffer found the graphic
variety.

Saratoga and Highland Range.

The Hinfdale range of granite finks laterally
under the gneifs to the weft. All that part
which is included between Vermont and Litch-
field, Con. never rifes again this fide of the
Rocky Mountain at the head of the Miffouri.
Whether it rifes again this fide of the Pacific
ocean we are not able to determine at prefent ;
as we have not yet received any fatisfactory ac-
count of the Rocky Mountain.*

I fay that part, which is included between
Vermont and Litchfield ; becaufe Dr. Steel has
treated the Saratoga, and Highland, granite as
the fame range.f And as I can fee no incon-

* We fliall no longer remain ignorant of the conftltuent flrata
forming that mountain, after Dr. Edwin James, and Mr. Henry
R. Schoolcraft, who are attached to the wcftern fcientific expe-
dition, fliall have fct foot upon it.

t Sc« Steel's Analyfis of Mineral Waters, ad Ed. page 20

GRANITE. lt)7

venience in fuch a view of the fiibject, I ftiall
follow him.

This is the moft extenfive range in North
America. It commences, according to M'Clure,
in Georgia. It continues, with little interrup-
tion, through all the llates in its courfe north-
eaflerly, as far as Dutchefs county in the ftate
of New- York. There it finks gradually be-
neath the upper ftrata and rifes again one mile
north of Saratoga Springs. Thence it continues
on with but few interruptions into the unex-
plored regions of Upper Canada.*

The appearance of the granite in Saratoga
county is very remarkable. Without a view
to any particular theory, its appearance may be
reprefented by the following fuppofition. That
all the ftrata now in view formerly lay in a ho-
rizontal pofition; with the granite at the bottom

* Perhaps future inveftigations may prove the Highland range
to he more properly united to the Hinfdalc ; and that the north-
ern part which extends down from Canada, terminates at Sara-
toga. This is M'Clure's plan, as laid down on his Geological
Map ; though he does not profefs to be minute in the minor lo-
calities. An accurate gtoiogifl ought to explore the country
from the Highlands to Salishury mines; and from New-York
IlUad to Oanbury, ia Counedicut.

rou GRANITE.

and the compact linieftone at the top, covering
the whole country. That a force was applied
beneath the granite, fufficient to raife it up with
ail the upper flrata on its back. But at this
■place it happened to break through them all at
once, forming a north and fouth fiffure of thirty
or forty miles in extent. All the ftrata on the
eaft fide of the fiffure fell oack nearly entire,
and ftill remain fo j with the compact lime-
fione covering the whole as it did while all the
ilrata lay undifturbed. But on the weft fide
the ftrata ftill retain the elevations to which
they were raifed. For about ten miles from the
fouth extremity, the granite ftiows only its
eaftern edge, and that but a few feet higher
than the eaftern plain ; while it fupports the
eneifs, hornblende rock and mica-flate of fuch
thicknefs, as to form over it a mural mountain.
Wherever the rock is laid bare on the eaft fide
of the fuppofed chafm,it is compaft limeftone;
which in fome places meets the granite fo clofe-
ly, that it may be compared to a board fcribed
up to a wall by a carpenter.

Where the river Hudfon cuts through the
aiountains, about twenty miles north of Sara-

6 RAN i IK. 109

toga, near (Jleii's Falls, the granite rifes much
higher. Here, at its eallcrn bafe, the compacb
limeflone, confifting moftly of organic relics, is
waflied bare by the river. A teacher of Geo-
logy might here arrange his pupils, fo that they
might infpecl fpecimens in place of the primi-
tive, tranfition, iecondary and alluvial clafTes,
on a vafl fcale. x'Vnd at the fame time they
might all fit within the fphere of his voice, but
for the roarings of the mighty Hudfon, rufhing
down from the ancient granite to the recent
formations below.*

Lamellar fcales of plumbago arc diiTeminated
through the granite at a place about feven miles
north of Saratoga Springs. In a hole dug
about ten feet into the folid granite, the walls
prefented a beautiful glimmering appearance,
caufed by the diffcmination of fcales of
plumbago.f 1 believe molybdena has been

• For the geology of Sarat02a county, with a complete gcoloi-
gical map, the reader is referred to the liuroductiuu to Dr. Steel's
Analyfis of Mineral Waters, id Ed. publillied at Albany.

f This hole was dug by a deluded compauy of moncy-di;^gers.
About half a dozen robuft young men were at work when I visi-
ted the place, Dec i8r8. They wire tncouratjed by ontof ihofc
itnpoftors, who pretends to fee hidden trcafurcs by looking ujto

K

ilo (jKANrXfc.

found here alfo ; but I loft ray fpecimens be-
fore I tefted them. The fehpar is generally
v/hite, and I found a few fpecimens of adularia.
Cubic mafl'es of magnetic oxyd of iron are
not uncommon.

At the Highlands the granite embraces large
beds of very hard ferpentine. The granular
magnetic iron ore, containing fmall cryftals of
yeilowifli phofphate of lime, is abundant in the
Highlands, embraced in both granite and
gneifs. I believe every known variety of gra-
nite is found here.

I have been able to afcertain but few locali-
ties of diiTeminated minerals -at the Highlands.
Neither have I learned in which particular ftrata
the many minerals brought from there were
found. Mr. S. W. Conrad found cryftals of
zircon in this range, where it paffes through
New-Jerfey. I have leen cryftals of beryl in
granite paving ftone, which were brought to
Albany from the Highlands ; but know nothing
of the particular localities of them..

3 ma;ic mirror. When I attempted to convince them of their
error, tlicir magician told them that I wiflitil to pcrfuadc them tn
dci'ifl. th it I mi-iht come and take tlie treafnrc.

GU.^M'Ii:. Hi

ft has been the received opinion, that there
cvas no granite weft of this range in North
America ; or at any rate not on this fide of the
Rocky Mountain. But it appears from the
obfervations of Mr. Henry R. Schoolcraft, that
there is a low range of granite, refembling the
Northampton range, of a fimilar variety and
containimjj fimilar minerals, on the weft fide of
the Mifiiilippi, palling northerly perhaps through
the ftate of Miilburi. The lead mines, with
the accompanying minerals, blende, fulphate of
barytes, fluor-fpar, radiated quartz, &c. are
found in the courfe of this range for feven hun-
dred miles.*

• See Schoolcraft's View of the tead Mines of MifToari, pa^CTs
92, 1x8 and 193.

H9 -SNEISfc.

STRATUM 2.

GNEISS,

THIS is the mofl extenfive of the primitive
lirata in our diftrid.* Bakewell fays, it is
icaixely known in any part of England or
Wales ; but that it conftitutes the principal
rock formation in a confiderable part of Swe-
den. It is rarely wanting in its place in New-
England ; though there are fuch localities of
limited extent.

Ranges between Spencer and Shrewsbury.

The Spencer and Shrewsbury ranges of gra-
nite being but about twelve miles afunder in
©ur fe£tion, none of the intcvmediate ftrata are
very extenfive. The gneifs, however, immedi-

* Gneifs in the primitive clafcj graywackc in tlic tiaiifition and
compact limt.ftouc i-.i tlic ficoiitlary, pryhahly form tlic bafis rocks
rTtlircc fourtlis of Nosth Anuri.-a.

ately adjoining the Spencer granite, is about
five miles in breadth. Both to the north and
fouth it fpreads out and becomes very exten-
five. The White Hills of New-Hampfhire are
faid to be chiefly embraced in it. And it fpreads
over from twenty to thirty of the towns in Con-
nedicut, lying between Thames and Connecti-
cut rivers. In almofl every part of this range,
the granite appears in the deep valleys, while
the gneifs covers the eminences ; though fome-
times the fienite crowns the higheft hills. It is
very hard and compa£l: near the granite.
On the eaftern declivity of the hills towards
Worcefler, it becomes tabular, ftrait-grained
and fiifiJe ; in fome meafure refembling the
gneifs quarries in Haddam, Con,

Pafling under the upper flrata between the
villages of Leicefter and Worcefler, it rifes again
towards the higheft part of Shrewsbury. Here
it is of very little extent, being foon cut off by
the granite ; and I have remarked nothing here
peculiar in its charader. It is faid to embrace
a bed of plumbago near Worcefler, but I did
not vilit it, and have no conclufive evidence of
its being in thi§ ftratum.

K 2

J 14 GNEISS.

Range east of Shreivsbury.

The gnelfs commences in the eaftern part of
Shrewsbury and continues to the foot of the
hill weft of Framingham. There are feveral
valleys, at the bottom of which we find granite.
Some of the hills prefent fields of hornblende
rock in their higheft parts ; and patches of mi-
ca-flate fometimes, though rarely, occur. The
alluvion hides the rocks to confiderable extent
near the flage road ; but on examining the
1 ountry north and fouth for feveral miles, I be-
came convinced that gneifs is generally the ba-
lls rock. I found feveral beds of calcareous
fandflone, which induced me at firft to confid-
er it a flratum analogous to one of the ranges
of granular limeftone wed of Hinfdale. But I
have fmce become familiar with fuch beds. I
find them very nearly refembling fand-like
iimeftonc aggregated with quartz, imbedded, for
miles in extent, in the gneifs of Saratoga. Bake-
well and other European geologifts, mention
the occurrence of fimilar aggregates in gneifs.

Near Framingham this range paffes under
diftindly characterized hornblende rock. Ir

GNEISS. 115

does not appear again as the principal rock, in
the eaftern part of our fedtion.* But the three
lower primitive ftrata feem to he nearly in a
horizontal pofition, the lowed of which being
at no great depth, throughout the whole extent
of country from Shrewsbury range of granite
to the Atlantic. For wherever we defcend into
the deeped valleys, we reach the granite, with
gneifs and hornblende rock rcfling upon it in
fucceffion, in almofl every part of this portion
of our diflrict. In truth there are feveral ex-
tenfive trads of country in the New-England
dates, where thefe three drata, and fometimes
two or three of the next in fucceflion, may be
didindly feen lying upon each other, as we
afcend from valleys of moderate depths to the
tops of adjoining hills. Here we are relieved
from all the uncertainties of theory. For we
adually fee a fuccedion of eminencies, in which
the drata now retain their original order ; while
the upper mod are cut off by the intervening
valleys. Monfon, Ware, and Belchertown, pre-

* MeflVs. Dnnas mention porphyritic granite in a range of
towns (Cambridge, Newton and Ncedham) from northcaft to
fouthwcft, near Bofton. It is denominated porphyritic gneifs
in this work, and occurs in Wcftcrn, Litchfield Co. &c. Sec
Geology of Bofton, page 80.

J 16 GNEISS.

fent excellent illuftrations of this pofition, as
well as many towns between Shrewsbury range
and Bofton.

Ranges between Spencer and Northampton,

The gneifs commences near the eaft bounds
of Brookfield, as we return to the weftward
along our fection. It is difficult to fix on the
weft limits of this range. It appears to be the
principal rock in all places, excepting the very
loweft, as far as the weft bounds of Weftern*
Beyond that place, the higheft hills are capped
with hornblende rock ; but gneifs is the princi-
pal rock as far as Swift river. In the deepeft
valleys granite appears as far weft as Belcher-
town, with the gneifs between it and the horn-
blende rock. Near the Forge, one mile north
of Belchertown meeting-houfe, is a ftriking lo-
cality.

That part of this range, which lies between
Chicapee river and Coy's hill, is porphyritic
gneifs.* It is curioufly fpotted with cubes and

• It is very extraordinary, that fome American geologifts
iiould denominate tliis rock porphyritic granite. Wherever rt

paralielopipeds of" felfpar, of the granular
variety. I have feen thoufands of thefe blocks
from two to four inches long and from one to
two inches wide. This variety of gneifs runs
foutherly through Brimficid ; but it is not fo
broad as in Weftern.

The gneifs of Brimfield, Sturbridge and Staf-
ford contains in fome places, large quantities of
very foft fulphuret of iron. This fub fiance,
when expofed, is continually fubje£t to chemi-
cal decompofition ; and fulphate of iron is
produced. Several chalybeate fprings in Stur-
bridge owe their fulphate of iron to this caufe»
The Stafford waters are well known. They
alfo derive their chief qualities from the fame
fource.

Near the boundary line between the towns
of Sturbridge and Holland, there is a large bed

occurs within the courfe of my ohfcrvalion, it is the mofl per-
fcdly charaifltrized gneifs. In Wcdern, and in Litchfield coun-
ty, Con. it is decidedly the uppermofl layer of the gneifa ftra-
tum. It is true, that the European hooks fpcak of porphyritic
granite ; but they define true fine-grained granite. If they
ically meant this rock 1 could not fcrvilcly follow them againfl
the indifputablc dilates of common fenfc ; nntwithftanding my
bigh ref; tcl for fone of their authors, borders on vencrstioi>,

H8- GNEiS.^.

of plumbago (carburet of iron) between ex-
tenfive buyers of gneifs, which was wrought ma-
ny years ago. A fhaft of 107 feet was funk
here and many tons were taken out. In con-
nexion with this is an extenfive bed of horn-
blende, not aggregated with any earthy fub-
itance ; but arfeniate of cobalt is difleminated
through it in fmall quantities. It has no con-
nexion with any hornblende rock ; but is a
mere infulated homogeneous mafs.

In Brimfield the gneifs contains very beauti-
ful pearly adularia, fometimes conned:ed with
fmall cryftals of zircon. Laminated plumbago
is very frequently difleminated throughout
extenfive rocks.

This range is not very extenfive near Con-
nefticut river in Chatham and Haddam. In
Haddam it is in vertical tables, where it is quar-
ried to a great profit. Large quantities from
this quarry are tranfported by water to Albany,
Troy, and other river towns, to be ufed for
flagging. The veins of granite, fo rich in beau-
tiful cryftals of beryl, fliorl, &c. traverfe the
gneifs of this quarry.

GNEISS. 41 &

This ranze varies greatly in breadth on the
north fide ot our fection, as well as on the
fouth. Accompanying the Spencer range of
granite into Canada, it ftretches over four or
five degrees of latitude with very little interrup-
tion. Col. Gibbs found beds of magnetic iron
ore in it, in feveral places in New-Hampfhire.
But like other ftirata running through New-
Hampfhire, as well as Vermont, it has not been
duly examined iar to the north.

This range evidently paffes under Conneftf-
cut river, accompanying the granite and cover-
ed with other flrata, and rifes with it on the
weftern fide. As far, however, as I have exa-
mined this range, it feems to be chiefly broken
up into patches of little extent. Thefe patches,
are not un frequent, and generally refl immedi-
ately upon the granite.

Ranges between Northafnptoa and Hinsdale,

To avoid being mifled by theory,has ever been
an important confideratlon with me, from the
commencement of my geological refearches.
" Lead me not into temptation," fhould be the
prayer of every honeft geoiogiit. For theories

-V2^ GNEISa.

are fo fafcinatlrxgthat perhaps none can effeiSlual-
ly refift them. With all my determination I
cannot fhut from my fancy that theoretic vifion,
which prefents this gneifs rock, commencing on
the weft fide of the Northampton range of gra-
nite, accompanying and concealing the granite
in one continuous ftratum through to Hin-dale.
Though it is itfelf covered with other ftrata
moft of the way through Worthington and a
part of Peru, I cannot but confider it as the
fame ftratum, prefenting its eaftern and weftern
edges at Williamsburg and Hinfdale.

The eaftern range conftitutes moft of that
range of hills, or rather mountains, which runs
through Gofhen, Chefterfield, part of Williams-
burg, Norwich, Montgomery, Rufle!, Gran-
ville and Hartland. 1 have traced it in all thefe
towns to my entire fatisfattion ; and I prefume
the gneifs near New-Hartford village belongs
to this range. It feems to difappear, or at leaft
to become rather uncertain, near the north
bounds of Williamsburg and Goftien. Moft
of this range has its layers confiderably curved,
and nearly in a vertical pofition, like all the
other ranges of this ilratum in New-England.

GNEISS. 1^1

Several interefting minerals have been dis-
covered by Dr. David Hunt and Col. Gibbs in
veins traverfing this rock. One new mineral,
filicious fpar,* is found in great abundance two
miles northvvefl: from Chefterfield village, alfo
in Golhen five or fix miles further north.
With the filicious fpar of Chefterfield is found
beautiful green tourmaline and beryl. With
that of Gofhen is found blue tourmaline, or
indicolite, rofe and yellowifh-green mica.

This range fmks laterally under the upper
ftrata, and appears again a little to the eaft of
the higheft part of the mountain of Peru. Al-
moft the whole of this mountain is gneifs. It
extends northerly into Vermont, increafing in
breadth. It forms moft of thofe gigantic piles,
which fever the divifions of the fouth branch
of the Deerfield river ; and the higheft part of
the mountain eaft of Adams, called Hooiack
mountain. It is remarkably hard and harfh.

* Soon after Dr. Hunt difcovcred this mineral, Col. Gibbs
pronounced it a new one, or a new variety of felfpar. But Pro-
fcfTor HaufTman firft analyzed it. It confiftjof about 71 per cent
filcx, 20 aluninc and 9 potalh — fometimes a very little limc«
magncfia and iron. Felfpar contains from la to 14 per ccni
potalh inftcad of foda. Sec Am. Jour. Science, page 348.
I.

122 GNEISS.

The pofition of Its layers almofl vertical, and
often much undulated.

It maintains its breadth foutherly, fpreading
over a large portion of Litchfield county in
Connedicut, as well as the northweftern part of
New-Haven county.

Ratige wejl of Hinsdale.

All the ftrata between the Hinsdale range of
granite and the argillite, are remarkable for
their frequent alternations j or, perhaps more
properly, their anomalous relations. I fhall
treat them, however, according to the order,
which is fo clearly prefented to us, every where
to the eaft of this range. But I fhall not omit
to notice all the local deviations from that or-
der, which have fallen under my notice. For-
tunately I have had a better opportunity to ex-
amine this part of our diftridt than any other
part ; excepting the tranfitlon clafs in the ftate
of New- York. In addition to this advantage,
I have had the affiftance of that very able and
accurate naturalift, Profeflbr Dewey of Wil-
jliams College, for two or three years. He re-

GNEISS. ir^

iides at the vei^ central point of the moit com-
plicated difficulties ; and never fuffers any in-
tercfting fad to efcape his notice.

This range of gneifs is feparated into two la) -
ers, from near the fouth boundary line of Mas-
fachufetts far into the ftate of Vermont, by a
a broad layer of granular limeflone connected '
with granular quartz. The layer next to the
granite is thin ; and at fome places feems to be
interrupted. It is generally low and refts late-
rally againft the granite. It palTes fuddenly
under the very thin, though diftindly charafter-
ized, flratum of hornblende rock j over which
lies the granular limeftone.

The other layer, beyond the firll range of
granular limeftone, forms the principal part of
a range of high mountains. This layer of gneifs,
together with the mica-flate, talcofe rock and
granular quartz, conftitute Saddle Mountain,
twenty.four hundred feet* higher than the gra-
nular hmeftone, and feveral hundred feet higher
than any mountain in Maffachufetts or Con-

• Sec ProfcfTor Dewey's Geology of Williamflown, Am. Jopr.
Science, page 337.

3,'i4 GNEISS.

neclicut. This mountain range crofTes the ftate
of MaiTachufetts and runs into Vermont. But
it is cut down tranfverfely entirely to a level
with the limellone at Williamstown and Pitts-
field J and almofl as low near Stockbridge.

Near the fouth bounds of MafTachufetts, the
eaftern and wedern ranges of granular limeftone,
which run along both bafes of this range of
mountains, unite, and entirely infulate it j or
render it a peninfula.

Oppofite to the fouth end of this range of
mountains, the layer next to the granite begins
•to extend in breadth, and foon becomes of con-
siderable extent. Paffing foutherly through the
ilate of Conne6licut, it forms feveral lofty hills,
\'.hich mav be denominated mountains.

Mr. Brace has found plumbago in it and fe-
veral other minerals common to this rock, in
Litchfield county. In the peninfular part, three
miles northwellerly from the village of Great-
Barrington, I found a bed of oxyd of manga-
nefe combined with much oxyd of iron. Pos-
fibly this bed may be wortl; noticing ; but I

GNEISS. 125

had no leifure to purfue the enquiry. It is on
M'Clure's Springfield feclion.

Ranges of Saratoga and the Highlands.

The gneifs accompanying the Saratoga range
of granite lies wholly on its weflern fide. For
an explanation of this arrangement of the gneifs,
the reader is referred to the article on the gra-
nite of this range.

This is that variety, which is denominated,
the moll recent formation.* Its polition is
nearly horizontal, and its layers rarely undulat-
ed. In an analyfis of this range, we need not
refort to any train of reafoning or analogy, to
arrive at fadts. For the river Hudfon having
cut a tranfverfe fedion through it, icy^n or
eight hundred feet in depth, we can examine
all its layers, and its place of meeting with the
granite, as we would infped a map.

Near the commencement of the gneifs upon
the granite, it dips a little to the weft. But it

* Sec the introdui^ioa to Dr. Steel's Analyfis of Mineral \^a-
tert.

L 2

12G GNEISS.

is almofl: perfectly horizontal in the mountaiir
Kayaderofleras which it conftitutes about eight
miles weft of the granitic ridge. The extent of
this range of horizontal gneifs I have not been
able to afcertain. David. Buel, Jun. Efq. 2d
Vice-Prefident of the Troy Lyceum, examined
it about twenty.five miles weft of its eaftern
edge ;* and IMajor James Dalaby, the ift Vice-

• Extradl from a paper which was read by Judge Buel before-
the Lyceum :

•' While on an excurfion throngh part of the counties of Schc-
■ucctady and Montgomery, fome obrtrvations were made on the
Geology of thefe counties, in conformity with that duty which
the dcfign of our aflbciation impofcs on every member of the
Lyceum.

" The tranfitlon ciafs of rocks continues along the valley of the
Mohawk nearly as far as the weftern boundary line of the coun-
ty of Schencclady.

" The argillaceous flate difappears, by falling beneath the high-
sb^ cr ftrata, about eight miles from the city of Schcne<5lady — corres-
ponding very nearly with the geological map publiflied by Dr.
Steel of Saratoga. The rock under wliich the (late pafles has the
external appearance of the rubbleflone variety of graywacke;
but by tefting the rock with acids, it appears to confill in pirt of
carbonate of lime. It is here called baflard limeftone. In the
courfc of two miles the rock ftratum affumcs the diftiu<ftivc cha-
Ta«Steriftic8 of the blue compaA limeftone. The traveller has
aow before him dcmonftrativc proof, that he has entered upon
that ferondary region, which continues many hundred miles to
the weft This flritum, however, it of very limitid extent to the
north of the vaUey of the Mchawk.

ONEISS

Prefident, found that it extended to the Little
Falls on the Mohawk, more than thirty miles
farther weft.* Dr. Steel has afcertained that

" The ancient buildingof Sir William Johnfon, which is called
Fort Johnfon,32 miles wetl from Troy, is built of this flratum of
compaiit limcftone. And although it has been built about a cen-
tury, the Rones exhibit no marks of diOutegration.

" In going from Fort Johnfon to the vHIagc of Johnftown, a
diftance of eight miles, we paf* obliquely over a belt of tranfition
rocks, running nearly parallel to the Mohawk. About fevea
miles north of Johnftown \ilI3ge the country is decidedly primi-
tive. Here we fall in with that variety of ^n;//} ro(/(/, which fome
geologifls confider as of the mod recent formation. They are
made up of many difliudl layers of which quartzofe particles are
in cxctfi and their pofition is nearly horizontal. Thefe layers
of gneifs are probably a continuation of fimilar rocks which form
the balis of the uorthwedern part of Saratoga countj.

" The village of Johnftown refts upon tranfition ftrata ; pro-
bably graywackc upon argillaceous flate; but the rocks are mofl-
Jy covered.with alluvion. At Johnfton Hall, however, (which is
three fourths of a mile from the village) the flate appears at the
bed of a creek. This flate evidently reds againd the primitive-
rocks to the north."

• Thofe who have read Governor Dewitt Clinton's Discourfe
before the New-York Literary and Philofophical fociety, in
which he denominates the rock at the Little Falls granite, may
confidtr Major Dalaby's opinion as at variance with the Gover-
nor's. But it fhould be noticed, that fome geologifts blend the
granite and gneifs drata ; on the principle, that there is no good
reafon for feparating them — their conftituenls being the fame,
and they frequently altcrDaticg with each other. £ut I canact

128- GNEIS?:

It extends at leafl: eighty miles to the north. I
have traverfed it in an oblique direction from
Johnflown in Montgomery country, to a place
on Weft Canada creek twenty four miles above
its mouth ; where I found that it correfponded
in all its peculiarities, with the fame rock at
Hadley's Falls.

From fpecimens which I have feen, coUeded
in various parts of this range, and from my own
examinations, I think, that a defcription of
this fmgular variety of gnelfs, taken at Hadley's
Falls, will apply throughout.

Some layers of the gneifs about Hadley's
Falls, in Saratoga county, are remarkably well
charaderized. I found fuch alternating with
other layers of very peculiar character, from
below the falls, to a mile up the river ; and
then from the banks of the river to the top of
Kayaderofleras mountain. Moft of the pecul-
iar intervening layers confift chiefly of fine

adopt this nomenclature; and as I have examined Major Dala-
by's fpecimens, and know them to be of the moft recent forma-
tion of gneifs, I adopt his name for the rocks at the Little Falls.
His fpecimens embrace calcareous fandftone, like the fame rock
at Hadley's Falls ; and Gov. Clinton notices the fame fart

GhElfcS. i*i^

grains of quartz, rather loofely aggregated to-
gether. A few fcales of mica are generally pre-
fent and rarely a few grains of felfpar. Thefe
layers haften rapidly to a ftate of difintegration,
forming a loofe fandy foil. Such is the foil of
much of the Jerfeyfield tract in Montgomery
and Herkimer counties. Such a foil is remark-
ably warm ; but will devour much manure. In
this immediate vicinity I difcovered no deep allu-
vion ; though vaft quantities of the fandy kind
muft have been formed in ancient time. It
has probably gone down the Hudfon and in
other direftions.

Another of thefe intermediate layers would
be miftaken for graywacke, without an atten-
tive examination. Col. S. Young informed me,
that before he had given much attention to ge-
ology, he miftook a fimilar variety at the Little
Falls for greenflone trap. I fhould not be fur-
prifed if every young geologifl fhould fall into
this error. For it is coloured much like it and
prefents regular parallelepipeds. The mofl
ftriking fpecimens of this laft anomalous aggre-
gate form the bed and low banks of the river,
half a mile above Hadlcy's Falls. This feme-

130 GNEISS.

times pafTes Into calcareous fandflone, in whichr
the limeftone particles are in fuch proportion,
that it may be manufadured into indift'erent
lime. It often embraces very perfect rhomboi-
dal cryftals of carbonate of lime.

The mofl remarkable, and to me the mofl
paradoxical, of all thefe intermediate layers, is
the puddingftone. A layer commences near
the Falls, and extends up ftream along the
bank of the river half a mile. The conftituent
pebbles are all as much rounded, as the mofl
perfeft water-worn gravel (tones. And the lay-
er is overlayed as well as underlayed with well,
defined gneifs. I do not mean that fuch gneifs
is immediately in conta£l with the puddingftone j
but layers of it may be found in the bank above
and below it. The pebbles conftituting the
puddingftone are chiefly tranflucent quartz,
fuch as we find in granite ; cemented together
by carbonate of lime and quartzofe fand.

I have never difcovered many difTeminated or
imbedded minerals in this range. It contains
confiderable fulphuret of iron of the foft granu-
lar variety ; whofe decompofition, along the
banks of the Hudfon near Hadley's Falls, forms

GNEISb. 13}

•confiderable fulphate of iron, or copperas wa-
ter. The moft important difcovery, made in
this range, is the fulphate of barytes at the Lit-
tle Falls on the Mohawk. Mr. Ifaac Briggs,
while he was engineer for the great canal, pre-
fented large fpecimens of fulphate of barytes to
the Troy Lyceum, which he difcovered at that
place. It is the lamellar variety ; fome of a
pearly white and fome deeply coloured with
red oxyd of iron. Whether it was embraced
in the well characterized gneifs, or in fome of
the anomalous layers, I have not been able to
afcertain.

The gneifs on each fide of the Highland range
of granite is of the common, hard, vertical kind ;
refembling the New-England ranges. As far
as I have had an opportunity to examine, it
prefented nothing peculiarly interefting. But
my inveftigations here have been lefs minute
and particular than at any of the localities de-
fcribed in this Index.

It is worthy of remark, that the rock ftrata
of the Highlands bear a relation to each other,
more analogous to fimilar rocks defcribed by

IS2 GNEISS.

European geologifts, than in any other part of
our diftridl. Here the granite is generally the
higheft, while the gneifs and other primitive
rocks incline againfl its fides. Whereas fuch
a locality can hardly be found in New-England.
There the gneifs is generally the higheft.*

The gneifs of the Highlands, as well as the
granite, embraces magnetic iron ore, contain-
ing minute cryftals of phofphate of lime.
Where this range paffes through Pennfylvania,
Mr. Conrad found melanite in it. But I found
the fame mineral in mica-flate in Conway,
Mafs.

• Dr. Ackerly has publiflied a very ingenious profile view of
the weft bank of the Hudfon, through the Highlands, &c. But
he informed me that he had not been minute in fettUng the li-
mits of particular ftrata. It is to be hoped he will find time foon
to clFe<fl this very defirable objeen-.

HORNBLENDE ROCiv.

STRATUM 3.
HORNBLENDE ROCK*

I HAVE adopted this general name for al;
rock aggregates of which hornblende is a con-
ftituent, excepting the fuperincumbent clafs.
This may be deemed an unauthorifed innova-
tion ; but I am confcious of no other motive in
introducing it, than the want of any eftabhflied
name, which has ever been appHed as I find
myfelf compelled now to apply this one. In
the firfl edition I adopted the word fienite.
But I find this term has fometimes been aoplied
even to a variety of greenftone trap. Primitive
trap is completely embraced in this ftratum,
which I denominate hornblende rock ; but ir

• Sometimes called ficnitc, primitive trap, greenftone porphy-
ry) green porphyry, &c. Sec Mc/Trs. Danas' Geology of Bofton
and its vicinity.

M

134 HORNBLENDE ROCK.

does not embrace all, which I think ought to
be included in it ; and I have adopted a defcrip-
tive name, which is fufficiently comprehenfive.
I will therefore detain the reader no longer with
remarks upon the name ; but will give my rea-
fon for uniting in one ftratum, what has ufually
been fubdivided.*

My reafon for uniting in one ftratum all rock
aggregates, containing a material portion of
hornblende, excepting thofe of the fuperincum-
bent clafs, is a very fimple one. It is becaufe
iiature has united every variety of this kind of
rock, known in our diflrict, in the fame indi-
vidual. When rocks are arranged geological-
ly, no regard muft be had to refemblance or
conftituent elem.ents in eftablifhing their order
of fucceflion. All thofe rocks which are label-
led, in European collections, primitive trap,
fienite^ porphyritic fienite, greenftone porphyry,
green porphyry, and by various other names,
provided they contain hornblende, and are not
bafalt, amygdaloid or greenftone trap, or mafs_
es embraced in them, are found united in the
fame individual rock in many parts of New-

• M'Clurc repeats the vords, Hornblende rocks, fcTcral time*.

HORNBLENDE ROCK. 166

England. The Ilratum in which they are unit-
ed generally refts immediately on gneifs ; though
fometimes it alternates with it. This I deno-
minate hornblende rock. All the porphyry,
which I have found in place in New-England,
is imbetUlcd in this rock. The principal locali-
ties to which I would refer for proof of these as-
fertions are, Framingham, Belchertown, Mon-
fon, Worthington and Plainfield, Mafs.

In diftrids of Anall extent, the different vari-
eties of this rock may well induce ver)' accurate
obfervers to give them different names. As
Belchertown is on the great ftage road from
Albany to Bofton, it may accommodate a cu-
rious geologift the beft to have minute direc-
tions for telling my affertions applied to this
place.

All the varieties, excepting that which is
called primitive trap, will be found in the fame
llratum by commencing near the meetinghoufe
and proceeding wefterly about two miles.
Then, without lofmg fight of the fameftratum,
proceed towards a place in the fame town
nick-named the Dark Corner. On the right

156- . HORNBLENDE ROCK.

of the road a fmall rocky eminence will ap-
pear, which is the primitive trap variety.

The other localities afford evidence equally
ftriking, more efpecially that of Plainfield^
But in tracing a continuous rock, we mud fre-
quently take many and various turns, left the
alluvion and fields of other ftrata miflead us.

Some European geologifts treat this as a fub-
n'dinate rock. But its great extent and almoft:
uniform prefence in its proper place, certainly
mthle it to a place in a fyftem defigned for our

Ranges eajl of spencer.

Though the hornblende rock ftratum is ma-
nifeft on both fides of Worcefter and in place,
it is very much broken and limited. Eaft of
the gneifs rock, which terminates weft of Fra-
iningham, this ftratum is very extenfive. It Is
in faft, with all its varieties, the bafis rock al-
moft to the Atlantic. MeiTrs. Danas have de-

• Dr. Lyman Foot fuppofes tliat luirnblcndc rocks may be ap-
plied to great advantage in fortilicatioii'^, on account of their be-
ing the toiighcd of all jocV'.

HORNBLExNDE ROCK. 137

Icribed it very minutely as it appears in the vi-
cinity of Bollon, and illuftrated it with a colour-
ed map. They have fubdivided it into com-
mon greenftone, greenflone porphyry, green
porphyry, and fienite. The reader may in-
clude porphyry as a fubordinate or imbed-
ded aggregate alfo, belonging to this ftra-
tum. But he fhould be cautioned againfl
confounding the rock, denominated common
greenftone by Meflrs. Danas, w'nh greenflont
trap of the fuperincumbent clafs. Not having
correfponded with thefe gentlemen, I do not
precifely underfland by what fyftem they were
governed in denominating the extenfive rock
embracing Weflon and the towns north and
weft, common greenftone. But they cannot.
in my opinion intend a rock refembling the
greenftone hills about New-Haven ; becaufe
they are very^different both in texture and geo-
logical relations. I take the New-Haven rocks
for a ftandard of reference ; becaufe Col. Gibbs
and Profeflbr Siiliman, both of whom have feen
European greenftone hills in place, declare
them to be perfect fpecimens. Whereas the
rock fo denominated by Meftcrs. Danas, is, ac-
cording to my fpecimens collected there, pre*

M 2

5Gr..--

138 HORNBLLNDE ROCk.

cifely the fame as that beautiful green variery
of hornblende rock, which refts upon gneifs
and frequently contains large veins of granite,
in Belchertown. However, at the 42 d page they
feem to refer prehnite to the true greenflone.
I have no doubt but thefe gentlemen had cor-
fe£l views of their fubjeft ; but thefe remarks
appeared neceflary to prevent miftakes. This
range, hke all ranges of this fhratom, frequently
contains epidote.

Ranges west of Spencer,

The Belchertown range is more than five
miles wide, and holds its breadth to a confide-
rable diftance north and fouth. In Monfon,
about a dozen miles fouth, the flaty variety,
being the primitive trap of Werner, is remark-
ably well charaifterized. It is this fame range
which contains the cobalt mines of Chatham,
Con. But it feems to alternate with gneifs at
this mine. Arfeniate of cobalt is alfo found
in this rock at INlonfon in fmall quantities. It
contains epidote and actynolite in abundance in
Belchertown.

It appears again, in interrupted fields and
patches accompanying the gneifs, on the weft

HORNBLENDE ROCK. 139

Iide oi Connedllcut river. In a fragment ol
this range Dr. D. Hunt found arfeniate of co-
balt alfo.

Between the Northampton and Hinfdale gra-
nite there are large quantities of this rock. It
was long before I could comprehend the real
pofition of this range of hornblende rock. But
by frequent examinations, and by comparing
its appearance on our fe£lion with that of the
fobth bank of Deerfield river, I came to this
conclufion. That the high ridge of this rock,
which croflfes our fe^lion weft of the village of
Worthington and runs northerly through Plain-
field and Hawley to Deerfield river, extends la-
terally under the mica-flate and talcofe rock
both eaft and weft. That on the eaftern fide
it appears again eaft of the top of the mica-flate
hill, which lies eaft of Worthington village.
That on the weftern fide it appears again on
the eaftern face of the high gneifs mountain of
Peru. The eaftern wing, if I may fo call it,
appears in Conway in the form of the flaty va-
riety. It appears alfo near Deerfield river.
The weftern wing alfo appears weft of the town
of Hawley, beyond the iron mines. Reference

140 KORN BLENDE ROCK.

muft be had to the drawing of our fe6tion to
underftand its pofition.

I think the varieties which this rock prefents
in Plainfield, Hawley and Buckland, exceed all
other localities within my knowledge. Here is
the mofl beautiful porphyritic variety, the bright
green, the dark chocolate, the flaty, the granu-
lar, &c. At Conway I found in it the petrofi-
licious porphyry, and in Hawley there are abun-
dance of fine cryftals of adtynolite and of horn-
blende. In truth, there is more beauty in the
ftrudure of the rocks of Hawley and Plainfield,
than of any other place I have ever vifited.

On the weft fide of the Hinfdale range, thii
ftratum is very limited. Yet it feems to be ex-
tended along without much interruption, in
company with the firft layer of gneifs. Ex-
a6lly againft the village of Adams, twenty miles
north of our fedtion, I did not difcover it in
place. But a few miles fouth, w^here the road
crofles the mountain towards Plainfield, it is
diftindly manifell in place ; though not of
great extent. Wherever I have fought for this
range, I have not failed to find it in its proper
connexion, throughout the Itaie of Connedi-

HORNBLENDE ROCK. 14t

cut. I once thought I had found it in place
beyond the Saddle Mountain range as ftated in
the firft edition of this Index. I can now ac-
count to myfelf for the deception j but it will
be uninterefting to the reader. It evidently
pafles under the granular limeftone and quartz,
mentioned under the article gneifs, never to rife
again in our diftrid:.

This ftratum is very manifeft at the High-
lands. But I do not believe it overlays the
horizontal gneifs of the Saratoga range. It
feems to have a place fomewhere beneath it.
Perhaps it is interpofed between a lower flratum
of gneifs and the horizontal variety. It is very
abundant in patches and large boulders in the
excavated region between the Kayaderofleras
Mountain and the granitic ridge. But I did
not carefully trace it to its place.

lA^L MICA-SLATE.

STRATUM 4
MICA-SLATE.

THIS ftratum is very narrow or thin wher-
ever it occurs in our diftrid.* At leaft I have
never found it of great extent, uninterrupted.
It is frequently found in patches or fields ftrew-
cd over a confiderable tra£l of country. Being
more fubje£l to difintegration than any of the
three preceding ftrata ; whenever it is expofed
it foon becomes feparated into patches, difclos-
ing the ftrata beneath. But where it ftill pre-
sents its whole thicknefs, as in the banks of
Deerfield river and at the Highlands, I have al-
ways found it very thin.

As it uniformly accompanies the preceding

• Bakewell fays, there is no well cliaradlcrized mica-flate in
England-

MICA-SLATE. 143

ftrata and is rarely of much extent, or in con-
tinuous uninterrupted ranges, wliich are expos-
ed to view, I fhall not defcribe the ranges
feparately.

I found but very little mica-Hate eaft of
Shrewsbury. Its proper place appears from
analogy to be in the vicinity of Bofton ; but
Meffrs. Danas found none there. I faw a few
patches of badly charaderized raica-flate be-
tween Shrewsbury and Framingham.

There is a little mica-flate in patches near
Worceiler ; and fcarcely any more occurs along
our fedion until we arrive at Belchertown.
Here it appears capping the hills weft of Swift
river and throughout the town in loofe patches.
But no where in place again until we come
within a fhort diftance of the eaft end of Mount
Holyoke. Here it crofTes the ftage road in
place. By following this range north and
fouth, we actually fee it paffing over the horn-
blende rock ftratum ; clearly feparating it from
thofe higher ftrata on which the greenftone trap,
conftituting Mount Holyoke, repofes. I men-
tion this, becaufe fome fuperficial obfervers have
confidered them as united.

144 MICA-SLATE.

There Is very little mica-flate near North*
ampton. But it is well-chara£terized and in
place between Northampton and Hinfdale. It
manifeftly lies upon the hornblende rock near-
ly throughout the whole extent of what I be-
fore denominated the eaftern and weftern wings
of the Worthington range. It is Hill more ap-
parent twenty miles north on the Deerfield riv-
er. It accompanies the gneifs every where in
Saddle Mountain and the other mountains in
;this chain. Here is no hornblende rock inter-
pofed between th5 gneifs and mica-flate as in
Belchertown and between Northampton and
Hinfdale. The hornblende rock being in com-
pany with the layer of gneifs, which refts a-
gainft the granite, it is not repeated here with
this fecond layer of gneifs.

Staurotide and garnets are very common in
mica-flate. The befl: locality is in Litchfield,
Con. Profeflbr Silliman found elegant fpeci-
mens in Bolton. Dr. John Torrey found fimi-
lar ones on New-York ifland. I found beauti-
ful fpecimens in Chatham, Con. Mr. Silliman
found cryftals of pinite in Haddam. Profeflbr
Dewey and myfelf found elegant acicular crys-

M1CA-!<LATE. 145

tals of fhorl in a wall near Williams College,
which evidently originated near where we found
it ; and he has fince found o(5lahedral cryftals
of oxyd of iron. I found acicular cryflals of
fhorl in this rock in Belchertown, Monfon and
Litchfield.

There are feveral large mafles of mica-flatt
in Chefterfield, Mais, which contain great quan-
tities of fappare, and garnets of an enormous
fize. In the fame range, near the line between

Conway and Deerfield, Mr. Hamilton of

Conway conducted me to a locality of fappare
a few miles eaft of the village. I found mela-
nite in it near the fame village in great abun-
dance.

The mica-Hate near Swift river in Belcher-
town and Greenwich, paffes into that variety of
which the coarfe fcythe-whetftones are made.
In the Worcefter range this variety appears in
fmall quantities between Leicefter and Worces-
ter, and in large quantities in Smithfield, R. I.
In the range eafl of Peru, where it paffes through
Middlefieldj an extenfive quarry of this variety
is faid to have been lately difcovered. I have

N

146 MICA-SLATE.

feen a fpeclmen of it, but have not vifited tht
place. Another locality of this variety is near
Lenox. By difnitegration it forms fand fuita-
ble for glafs manufactories ; and it has been ap-
plied with fuccefs. Kirwan denominates this
variety Stellftein. It feems to be a talco-mica-
ceous rock.

I have not been able to afcertain a fmgle fa6l
Tefpe£ting the mica-flate, or other ftrata, accom-
panying the Saratoga range of gneifs ; though
I have made much enquiry. I prefume the
gneifs extends much farther to the weft than
the Weft Canada creek ; beyond which we
have not explored. There is, however, a field
of mica-flate two miles weft of Saratoga Springs
and a patch lying immediately on the granite
near the fouth extremity of the range, one mile
northerly from the Springs.

TALCOSE ROCK. 147

STRATUM 5.
TALCOSE ROCK

IN the firft edition I applied the common
name foapltone to this ftratum. But by the
advife of ProfeiTor Silliman, I have adopted this
name. There is certainly great propriety in
fubftituting this name ; as it is intended to
comprife all rocks, in which talc is a material
conftituent. Such as common foapftone, ftea-
tite, potftone and that kind of fliiftofe rock
•u'hich is diftinguifhed from mica-flate merely by
a kind of talc glazing. This laft variety con-
flitutes a part of Saddle Mountain and that
fliiftofe ridge which crofles the ftage road be-
tween Pittsfield and Dalton.

I faw feveral patches of this ftratum lying
upon mica-flate in Kaft Sudbury. It wag very

148 TALCOSE ROCK.

coarfe and hard, containing but little tale. It
appears in fmall quantities on both fides of
Worceder valley. As low down as Smithfield,
R. I. it is confiderably extenfive, and much us-
ed in the arts. I'here is a north and fouth
range of patches of this rock, in connexion
with calcareous fandftone and granular quartz,
palling one niile eafl of Belchertown meeting-
houfe, which I have traced for feveral miles.
It is interrupted thence until we fall in with
the mica-ilate near Mount Holyoke. It ap-
pears in fmall patches again on the weft fide of
Connedicut river. In connexion with the mi-
ca-flate eaft and weft of the Worthington horn-
blende rock, it is more extenfive. In Middle-
iield it becomes a very extenfive quarry of foft
foapftone; and Mr. Emmons of that place has
traced it to where it pafl'es into beautiful ferpen-
line. This is in the fame range as the coarfer
variety forming the eaftern face of Snake Hill,
between Worthington and Peru.

Juft at the meeting of the mica-flate and the
talcofe rock,* where they pafs into each other,

* Bakewell fpcaks of tliis talco-ir.itaccous rock being common
in Angkfea. P. 84.

TALCOSE ROCK 149

is the proper place for the fpecular iron ore.
Such is the fituation of the Hawley mine, which
has been wrought 20 or 30 years. The walls
are moftly a very white talcofe rock, and black
micaceous iron ore. The whole mine is includ-
ed between two vertical rocks about four feet
afunder, running north and fouth. The depth
is unknown. This is the fame range with
Snake Hill and Middlefield quarry.

Adjoining the mica-Hate in Saddle Mountain,
that varicLV of talcofe rock which contains httle
more than a mere glazing of talc, is pretty ex-
tenfive. On afcending to the Grey Lock from
the Hopper* we pafs over it in the befl place,
perhaps, for collecting fpecimens. Sixteen
miles fouth, where this vaft mountain has dwin-
dled down to a mere ridge of rock, nothing is
left but this ftratum. Where it approaches
the (tage road between Pittsfield and Dalton,
it contains the fmallefl proportion of talc, which
can entitle it to the appellation of talcofe rocki.
But from a confideration of its analogies, it
muft be placed in this ftratum.

• Ste ProfcfTor Dewey's excelleut cfi^y oa the Geology of WiS
Hamflowa in Am. Jour. Science, page 337.
N 2

fJO TALCOSE ROCK.

This range Is remarkable for its alternations
with granular linieftone. It extends foutherly
through MafTachufetts, thence through Shef-
field, Canaan, Salisbury, &c. Con. It alter-
nates wich the limeftone three times in the towns
of Salisbury and Canaan — the talcofe, or lalco-
micaceous rock forming high hills, and the
limeitone the intervening valleys. It extends
northerly far into Vermont. It forms a high
mountain near Middlebury College,* and be-
comes of great extent ftill higher north. Here
it embraces mofl beautifully variegated ferpen-
tine of the common foft variety.

It may be worthy of remark, that the ferpen-
tine, found in talcofe rocks in our diftricl, is
always fofter than that which is found in gra-
nite.

It will feem to be taking a bold, or rather
vifionary, ground, to fay that the ftaladitic
(hematitic) iron ore of Salisbury mine, was once
fpecular iron ore, imbedded in this range of
talco-micaceous rock, fimilar to that of Haw-
key, Mafs. But when the reader is informed,

» D?, Edwin Jamc*

TALCOSE rock:. 15f

that the only rocks in the vicinity of the mines
are of this kind, very fimiiar to thofe in which
the fpecular ore of Hawley is imbedded, and
that the alkivion embracing the ore in its pre-
fent Rate appears, by mere infpeclion, to have
proceeded from the difintegration of a fimilar
rock, it will begin to appear fomewhat plaufible.
In addition to this, thefe iron ftalactites are al-
ways pendent when laid bare before they are
moved. They mull therefore have been in a
ftate of fufion as recently as the time when the
alluvion was formed. And thefe flaladites are
always fufpended from maffes intermixed with
the foil in fuch a manner, that it is evident the
iron was in a Hate of fufion when in contact
with it. The foot, which flill adheres to all
ftaladitic fpecimens, proves, that the heat was
continued after the ore was confined in its pre-
fent ftate. if it was ever fufed down from any
rock, it muft have been the fame out of which
the alluvion embracing it was formed. The
caufe producing fuch a high heat I fhall not at-
tempt to aflign. But that the ore exhibits fuffi-
cient evidence of its having been recently fufed,
I believe no one can queftion, who has ever in-
fpeded it in place. I mean by recently, fmce

152 TALCOSE ROCK.

all general ftrata were completed, and during
the era of alluvial depofites.*

Talcofe rocks are found in place along both
fides of the Highland range. It is a principal
rock at Hoboken and Staten Ifland near New-
York ; and appears to belong to, or incline to-
wards, the granitic ridge of New-York Ifland.
Dr. Bruce found pure magnefia (hydrate of
magnefia) in this rock at Hoboken. Mr. Pierce
found both hydrate and carbonate of magnefia
on Staten Ifland in the fame ftratum.

In that variety of ferpentine which is often
conneded with this ftratum, Dr, Hayden difco-
vered the chromate of iron near Baltimore, Md.

* ExtraA from a letter, wliich I wrote to the correfponding
fecrctary of the Trojr Lyceum (Dr. A. Robbins) while I wa» act-
ing as collecSting agent, dated Litchfield, Nov. 17, 1818.

" The Salisbury ore-beds prefent materials for contempla-
tion of the highcft intereft. That the ores are ftriAlv fta»
ladlitic cannot be qucdioned. But whence were the materials
derived, and by what agent were thofe materials bronght
into the liquid (late ? By the elegant fpecimenj which I have
colleAed for the Troy Lyceum, it. will Tpi>car, that the flalac-
tites .ire now actually covered with black velvety foot, and exhi-
bit many other figns of having been cxpofcd to fubftauccs in the
Aatc of combuflion,"

TALCOSE ROCK. 163

He repref'ents this very interefting locality of
chrome as in a bare, bleak, ragged rock, unfit
for the refidence of any animated being, ex-
cepting thofe of the moft hated clafs. " If,"
fays he, " a fratricidal Cain had here commit-
" ted his heaven-infulting deed, we need not
" wonder ; it bears fo much the appearance of
" having experienced the unappeafed wrath,
" the eternal curfe of an offended Deity. Scarce
" a folitary lizard, or a creeping ant is here
" feen, feeking among the mouldering ferpen-
" tine a peaceful burrow in which to depofite
" its daily fpoils, and fcreen its tender offspring
" from the chilling blafls of winter's wind,.
" which fweep in triumph over this dreary
« wafte."

154 GRANULAR LIMESTONE,

STRATUM 6,
GRANULAR LHIESTONE.*

THIS ftratum is very limited every where
€aft of Hinfdale ; but weft of that range it is
one of the moft interefting of all the ftrata.

Ranges eaji of Hinfdale.

Meflrs. Danas found granular limeflone in
connexion with argillite near Merrimack river,
northweft from Bofton. They treat it as a fub-
ordinate mineral. But it being in the fame
connexion as found in thoufands of acres near
the weft bounds of Malfachufetts, I fhould be

• This is called cryftalline limeflone hy Bakewcll and others.
In the firft edition of tiiis Index it was divided into granulsr lime-
none and quartz, calcareous and granular quartz, and metallife-
rous limenone. I am now fatisficd thit they ail I'dong to the.
fame ftratum.

GRANULAR LIMESTONE. 15o

inclined to confider their locality as a remain-
ing patch of this broken down Itratum. But
as I never faw a fragmenf of it eafl: of Shrews-
bury, I would merely propofe this fuggeftion
for the confideration of Bolton gcologifts.

Fragments of this ftratum are found along
the Worcefler valley. And at Smithfield, 20
miles fouth, as well as at Bolton, 12 miles
north, it is found in quantities fufficient to af-
ford building quick lime for all the neighbor-
ing towns.

I have never difcovered any granular lime-
ftone between the Spencer and Northampton
ranges of granite ; but I prefume it may be
found. It is the higheft ftratum which occurs
between the Northampton and Hinfdale gra-
nite ; therefore the whole of this mountainous
region is primitive. At Worthington the gra-
nular quartz, which always accompanies gra-
nular limeftone, is abundant. And that varie-
ty of granular limeftone, which is aggregated
with confiderable quartz,* is found here in

* Bakewell fays, that the granular limeflone of Europe often
contains a confiderable quantity of fiiicious earth. P. 87.

156 GRANULAR LIMESTONE.

place ; though not in great quantities. I hav«
traced this range to Deerfield river, about twen>-
ty miles north. Towards the weft bounds of
Hawley the proportion of carbonate of lime
increafes, and the ftratum extends in breadth.
But flill it contains a large proportion of quartz.

In its whole extent it refts immediately upon
the talcofe rock. And, though it is different
from the granular limeftone weft of Hinfdale,
it precifely refemb'es the latter in many locali-
ties, where it approaches the ftrata above and
below it. Therefore, fmce it is in the fame
geological connexion as the upper, or moft
weftern, divifion of the Pittsfield granular lime-
ftone, it appears moft convenient to confider
them as analogous ftrata. To fupport this
analogy, we may confider this Worthington
range as refembling the weftern fide of the
Pittsfield ftratum ; but that it is not extended
fufficiently to prefent the pure limeftone of the
middle part of Pittsfield range.

There is a range of a fimilar ftratum repofing
on the talcofe range eaft of the Worthington
and Plainfield high ridge of hornblende rock j

(jRANLLAR LIMESTONE. 15;

but it is not of much extent on our feclion.
As far north as Conway, or even the north-
weft part of Williamsburg, it is confiderably
extenfive. It has here been manufadured into
indifferent quicklime.

From a confideration of thefe localities, I
was induced to locate all granular limeflonc
next above the talcofe rock ; which is the adual
fituation of the Pittsfield range. Though the
alternations and fubdivifions of the weflern gra-
nular Umeftone, which pafTes through Dalton
and Pittsfield, afford but little conclufive evi-
dence of its true place in a fyftem of geology,
this arrangement comports better than any.
other vi'ith all phenomena relating to it and its
connexions.

Ranges weji of Hinfdale.

Umeftone of this kind is confidered by Bake-
well and fome other European geologifts as a
fubordinate rock. But a vaft ftratum, extend-
ing from near Long Ifland to Canada, ought
certainly to have a place among regular ftrata.
Befides I have no doubt analogous rocks may
be found in place, in every part of New-Eng-
o

168 GRANULAR LIMESTONE.

land -f though they are lefs pure carbonate of
lime, and of lefs extent.

I have traced this range from Reading in
Connedlcut through Bethel parifh in Danbury,
Brookfield, Wafhington, Cornwall and Canaan.
Here it alternates three times with mountains
of talco-micaceous rocks on the crofs road to
Salisbury mines. And the main range running
northerly, divides into two diftinft branches,
which continue feparate acrofs Maflachufetts
and far into Vermont. The eaft branch pafles
through Tyringham, Mafs. Wafhington, Dal-
ton, Adams, &c. The weft branch pafles
through Great-Barrington, Stockbridge, Rich-
mond, Pittsfield, Lanesborough, Williamftown,
Pownal, Vt. Bennington, &c. It has been
traced almoft to Canada, by feverai correct ob-
fervers. I have myfelf traced it into every town
here named. When I was engaged in fearch-
ing out the courfe of this remarkable ftratum
at the direftion and expenfe of the Troy
Lyceum, I was very anxious to follow the
courfe of the weflern valleys beyond Salisbu-
ry, before defcribed ; but I (hould have ex-
ceeded my inftruftions. Whether they lead
away wefterly to Hudfon river at the Barnagat

GRANULAR LIMESTOML Ibii

lime-kilns, fending off a branch to New- York.
Illiind, or return foon near the courfe of the
principal range, I have not been able to deter-
mine. Dr. Akerly found granular h'meilonc
both in Dutchefs and Weltcherrer counties,
very nearly in line between Salisbury and Bar-
nagat, and between Wafhington and King«-
bridge.

All the branches of this ilratuni are accom-
panied by granular quartz rocks, moilly of a
yellowish hue. Near Williams College, the
granular quartz forms the chief part of feveral
mountains. There are two within three or four
miles of the College, from twelve to fourteen
hundred feet high.*

From the preceding enumeration of facts is
appears, that this flratum alternates with all the
primitive flrata, excepting granite and the horn-
blende rock. And 1 think I have fome evi.
dencre of its alternating with the latter alio.

Near the eafl line of Danbury, Con. in the
parifh of Bethel, a creek cuts acrofs a ridge

• See Dcwpy's Geology of Williamflown.

160 GRANULAR LIMESTONE.

-.vith perpendicular banks, about forty feet high.
Here the granular limeftone and gneifs alter-
nate with each other feveral times in fucceffion
'vithin a very ihort diftance. The limeftone is
perfectly white and extremely coarfe-grained.
Here the layers dip to the weft; but in Weft
Stockbridge and Alford they generally dip to
the eaft, though there feems to be no uniformity
in their direftion. Had fome force, applied at
the eaftern edge, raifed thefe mountain mafles
-from the horizontal towards the vertical pofi-
aon, leaving feme inclining to the eaft and
forcing others beyond a vertical polition, they
would have prefented their prefent inclina-
ilons;

Thi.s iivatum is found in Penufylvania and
Maryland, (Conrad and Gilmor ;) but I have
i-eceived no information refpefting its geological
iituation. The Milford marble is of this ftra-
uim j but to what range it belongs, or whether
it is infulated and independent, I am not able
to determine ; though I examined its geological
fituation with that view. It appears to be, ^cc-
graphically, in the courfe of the range crofting
our feclion at Worthington j but it refembler
(he Pittsfield range.

GRANULAR LIMESTONE. IGl

There is frequently confiderable proportion
of carbonate of magnefia combined with the
carbonate of lime, forming Dolomite through-
out all the extent of this range from PIttsfield,
Mafs.* to Reading, Con. Tremolite is fre-
quently found in it ; and in Canaan, Con. it is
very abundant. In Brookfield, Con. I dis-
covered a new locality of pyroxene, or white
augite, in this rock. It is very abundant about
half a mile west of Brookfield village. Some-
times it contains asbeftos, ferpentine,t iron,
pyrites, kc. Dr. Meade dlfcovered that flab-;
of this rock, when wrought out pretty thin, are
often elaftic.

In Alford, and feveral other places, it con-
tains mica and talc. Here, (Alford,) I found
it frequently pafling into precifely the fame va-
riety as that mentioned in Hawley, belonging
to the Worthington range.

• Since writing the above I received a letter froni ProfcfTor
Dewey,rf]ated April 7, 1820, in which he informs mc, that he
haj found Dolomite in abundance in this range north of Wil-
liams College, near the fouth bounds of Vermont.

f It contains fcrpcntinc, forming vcrde-antiquc. alfo in Scd'>-
O 1

JUJi* UiiAlsULAK LIMESTONE.

The moft durable marble is manufaftured
from this flratum, throughout mofl of its ex-
tent. This is the genuine ftatuary marble*
There is no doubt, but it may be quarried in
almofl cvej-y part of the range ; though the
appellation, Stockbridge marble, is given to the
whole. The New- York City Hall is built of
this rock. In fome parts it abounds in iron
pyrites, which is injurious to the marble. But
it is generally a pure white, or a little motled
with light blue ; and free from all metallic
ores.

Weft of Pittsfield, near the eafteni boundary
jine of the flare of New- York, it pafles under
the vaft ftratum of argiliite. Fortunately here
is no room for conjecture. By mere infpcdion
we aftually fee the granular limeflonc pafs un-
der the argiliite for at leaft twenty miles in ex-
tent from north to fouth. Along the ftage road
well of Pittsfield, the limeftone is united with a
confiderable proportion of quartzofe particles
or fand ; fo that it refembles the variety which
generally prevails to the eaft of Hinfdale. It is
often blackened on its furface by the decompO'
fition of fulpkuret of iron, near the argiliite.

n: TRANSITION CLASS.

STRATUM 7.
ARGILLITE.

THIS flratum is rather limitted wherever it
appears in New-England. But in the ftate of
New- York it forms the bafis rock of more than
two thoufand fquare miles.

In Profeflbr Silliman's notice of the firft: edi-
tion of this Index, he fays ; that the clay-flatc
of Woodbridge hills near New-Haven, is primi-
tive, that of Rhode-Ifland with anthracite is
tranfition, and that near Middletown, Con.
'with impreflions of fi(h is fecondary. There"

164 ARGILLITE

fore he infers that, by confining argil lite to the
tranfition clafs the fcience may be embarrafled.*
Such a fuggeflion made by one of my principal
inftruclors in Mineralogy and Geology, would
naturally induce me to fearch dilligently and
decide with caution. Having found myfelf
compelled, by a review of facts, to yield my
opinion to his, refpedling the fuppofed range of
metalliferous Hmeftone in Maflachufetts ; I was
prepared to yield alfo in the cafe of the argillite.
But after the mofl diligent fearch and reviews,
I think I have the bed of reafons for leaving
the flratum of argillite exclufively in the tranfi-
tion clafs.

All the primitive, which has come to my
knowledge, was manifeftly in beds in granite,
gneils or mica-flate. And even thefe beds are
very limitted. The Prefident of the Troy Ly*-
ceum, the Hon. John D. Dickinfon, Efq,
brought home very perfed Ipecimens from near
Lake Champlain, which he found imbedded in
granite. The bed was of very little extent.
Dr. Edwin James found fimilar beds in feveral
localities in Vermont. In truth I have not

* Sec American Journal of Science, page 70.

ArxGILLiTE. 166

been able to afcertain a locality of the primitive
flate, which was not manifcftly a bed, or a
fubordinate rock.

With refpe£t to the fecondary argillite, this
has always been found in very limitted beds in
our diftrid. That which contains the fibrous
fulphate of barytqs in Schoharie county is cer-
tainly a mere bed, and very different in texture
from either primitive or tranfition argillite. It
may rather be denominated argillaceous gray-
wacke than argillite.

Perhaps the queftion may be asked, how
ftiall we determine whether it is a bed or a ftra-
tum ? The fame queftion may be asked re-
fpe£ling Terpentine, dolomite, kc. I treat every
rock as fubordinate, which is wholly embraced
in other rocks when in place ; and which
never appears independent and continuous in
large diftricls. Bakewell lays, p. 98 : " If all
" the varieties of rock found among the pri-
** mary* were arranged in diftincl orders, the
*' the number would be indefinitely extended,

• I think tliig rerrnrk applies with equal force to the traaCi.-
'ion, and in fome nicafiire to the fcconHnrv.

166 ARGILLITE.

*' and the fcience encumbered with a liil: ot
" names which would be of little ufe. —
" It is, I conceive, better to clafs thefe varieties
" under one head as Anomalous^ and to de-
'' fcribe their peculiarities whenever they oc-
« cur."

Now this fame variety of argillite, which I
consider as tranfition, is the bafis rock through-
out feveral counties in the ftate of New-York.
It appears in feveral limitted ranges in New-
England, and always in the fame geological
connexion, when clearly afcertained in place.

The next queftion is, why fhould it be placed
in the tranfition clafs,* if it be admitted, that
there is but one kind of fufficient extent to form
a flratum, and that it is always found in the
fame geological connexions ? The anfwer is a

* Bakewell obferves, p. loi : " Gcologifts have been frequenf-
" ly perplexed in attempting to determine whether certain rocks
" belonged to the trsnfition clufs. The uncertainty arofe princi-
" pally from placing argillaceous fchiflus in the clafs of primary
" rocks." At page I02, he adds : " That fljte which lies nearcft
•' the primary rocks has a more fliining liinre than the other, and
" partakes more of the cryflallinc quality of mica-Oate. As this
" recedes from the prinary, it more frequently contains organic
" mprcflions "

ARGILLITE. Hi',

fimple one. It is the lovvefl rock In our distrifl:
containing organic relics, thefe are always of
marine origin ; and it refts immediately upon
granular limeftone, which is the highefl primi-
tive ftratum.

Organic relics are extremely rare in this ftra-
tum ; but it is fo remarkably continuous and
uniform, that a fingle fpecimen in it, if well
afcertained, is fufficient proof. Dr. Edwin
James found feveral anofnites and pectinites in
the very fame ftratum which pafles under this
city, (Troy,) where it approaches Lake Cham-
plain. The very perfedt fpecimen of orthocerite,
which was dug out of the rock at the north end
of this city is conclufive. This fa£l is perfectly
guarded againft the poflibility of miftake. It
was infpetled in place by Dr. Wells, Dr. Hale,
and feveral other members of the Lyceum. I
have frequently feen the rock from which it was
taken. It was difcovered while cutting a ftreet
through a folid rock of argiilite about four feet
below its furface. This fame rock may be
traced unbroken throughout more than two
thoufand fquare mile'=!. It embraces a large
proportion of the counties of Saratoga, Sche-

i

i

168 ARGILLi'ri:.

nedady, Albany, Renflelaer and Columbia. It
extends into the weft margin of Maffachufetts,
and there refts immediately on the granular
iimeftone.

Ranges east of Hinsdale.

When I was engaged in fearching into the
geology of the vicinity of Bofton, I was induced
to believe that this ftratum exifted under the
^eep alluvion, principally from the large patches
and fragments which I found there. For when
a ftratum of a foft rock is not near, we never
find even boulders or patches of it. We find
large blocks of granite, gneifs and hornblende
rock in the vicinity of Troy, thirty or forty
miles out of place. But we never find mica-
flate or talcofe rock. I have obferved the fame
fad in Blenheim, Delhi, and other towns In
Delaware and Schoharie counties. Hence when
I find large fragments of a foft rock, I infer that
it is not far out of place. Bcfides, the gray-
wacke commonly accompanies argillite, and
overlays it. Therefore I had good reafon to
receive the prefence of graywacke, as evidence
of the proximity of a ftratum of argillite.

AliGlLLITE. JC»

Meflrs. Danas have confirmed this opinion by
an cxtenfive courfe of obfervations.*

A Httle weft; of the village of Worcefler this
ftratum appears of confiderable breadth. And
it increafes in breadth both to the north and
fouth. Pretty large quarries are now wrought
in Smithfield, R. I. to the fouth, and in Bolton
to the north.

The Connecticut river range is confiderably
extenfive in Vermont ; but as it runs foutherly
it defcends beneath the other ftrata, and entirely
difappears in Greenfield. It probably paffes
beneath the graywacke, as this becomes a pret-
ty extenfive rock a few miles fouth of North-
ampton.

Mr. Hitchcock calls the Connecticut river
argillite, primitive. In this he is governed by
European defcriptions of hand fpecimens. But
fpecimens anfwering to their definitions of roof,
and primitive, flate, may be found here, and
every where elfe in our diftricl, within a few
feet of each other in the fame individual rock.

• Sec he Geology of BoAoa and its vicinity, page xor.
P

170 ARGILLITE.

The primitive argillite brought to the Troy Ly-
ceum by Mr. Dickinfon from the weft part of
Vermont, is totally different from any I have
feen from Connedicut river, from Bofton or
from any part of the vaft range in the ftate of
New-York j though fpecimens may be feleded,
which accord with the letter of the definition.
Since the argillite on Connecticut river,* at
Worcefter and Bofton, is in the fame geologi-
cal pofition as that in which organic relics are
found, and does not elTentially differ from it in
ftrudture, I have thought proper to confider
them as analagous ftrata.

"We now pafs over the interval between
Northampton and Hinfdale, as it is wholly
primitive.

Range west of Hinsdale.

1 cannot fix the northern or fouthern limits
of this range. It has been traced from Vermont

• I have been informed by an intelligent young gentleman,
tkho haa nTulcd twenty years near Bellows Falls, Vt. that much
of the argillite in that vicinity prcfcms highly inclined laminae,
«nd ill all rcfpecSs refemblcs that variety of argillite in RenfTe-
lacr county, which contains or;;anic relics; though he never Taw
any rtlics in it ou Connc^Ucnt river.

ARGILLiTL. IT,

through the counties of Wafliington, Renffe-
laer and Columbia into Dutchefs. Near Pough-
keepfie it winds wefterly, crofling the Hudfon
into Ulfter county. From the fouthern part of
Cohjmbia county to about as far north as Al-
bany, a diftance of about 50 miles, it is chiefly
embraced between Hudfon's river and the Mas-
fachufetts line — a breadth of about 20 miles.
Some diftaace below Albany, near Kinder-
hook landing, it extends acrofs the river, and
fpreads out gradually to the weft as it advances
northerly ; fo that it embraces a large portion
of that part of the counties of Schenedlady and
Saratoga which is fituated ncarefl to the river.

It is remarkable, that in almoft every part oi"
this range the laminae are nearly vertical, or in-
clining a little towards the weft or northweft.
Not having been able hitherto to adopt any te-
nable theory refpecling this phenomenon, I
will give Bakewell's. He fays, page 103^,
" This rock is always reprefented as ftratified ;
" but in this refpect it refembles gneifs and mi-
" ca-flate, and the flaty and tabular ftrudure
" are, I conceive, the effect of cryftallization,
*« depending on the nature of the conftituent

172 ARGILLITE.

** parts. In the flate rock at Charnwood Fo-
" reft the flaty laminae make an angle of fixty
" degrees with the principal feam by which
"the rock is divided.'* Whether this is the
true caule of this arrangement of the laminae
or not, it is interefting to know, that a fimilar
ftrudture has been obferved beyond the Atlan-
tic. The dividing feams forming a large angle
with the laminae are manifeft in many locali-
ties ; particularly along the banks of the Mo-
hawk near the Cohoes Falls.

In fome parts of this range the laminae are
-curved, at others ftrait, in others irregularly fis-
fileand readily fhivered into lenticular or formlefs
fragments. Where the laminae are ftrait, this
ftratum is quarried and manufactured into roof
ilate. One quarry has long been wrought near
the north bounds of Dutchefs county and one
in RenfTelaer. There is another locality not
wrought where nature has opened the quarry, on
the bank of Stony Brook in Chatham, Col.
county, on the land of Major Eleazer Cady.

The curved or undulating kind may be found
in various parts of the range. It is very abun-
dant towards the eafl bounds of the town of

AllGILLrJL. 173

Chatham. The irregularly fiflile variety
abounds near Troy and Albany. In the cleav-
ages of" this variety the fragments are frequent-
ly glofTed over with carburet of iron. This
glazing or glofs is very common near Cohoes
bridge, at the Canal between Troy and Lan-
fmgburgh, at Greenbufli and a little fouth of
Albany.*

Near MaflTachufetts line weft of Weft Stock-
bridge, the argillite paftes into chlorite flate.
Here too the veins of milky and greafy quartz
embrace large mafles of pure chlorite. This
variety of flate, as well as the veins of quartz
containing chlorite, are found in almoft every
part of the whole range ; but more particularly
near its eaftern edge. Adjoining the chlorite
flate it is often curioufly variegated in colour.
We find it deep red, brick-colour, purple, blu-
ifli purple, and deep blue. All thefe colours

• This is the variety, which has deceived fo many European
colliers, as well as fcicntific geologifts. The appearance very
nearly refembics bituminous fliaie, which accompaniis coal.
This has induced much fruitltfs fcarch for if. Several hundred
dollars hav^ been expended in digging into this rock. It remain-
ed for the members of the Troy Lyceum ro dcte«fl the d nption j
and at their requefl ProfefTor Sillim^n analyzed this gloffing, rtrrd
found it to be very hard carburet of iron.
P 2

may be t'ound in travelling along the turnpike
road from Weft Stockbridge meetinghouie to-
wards Hudfon, within four miles of the ftate
line. The beft locality is along the defcent of
the hill, eaft of the place nick-named Pilfer^
Ihire.

Two or three miles weft of Williams Col-
lege, where this range pafles along northerly, I
found large quantities of graphic flate or drawl-
ing flate, in connexion with both chlorite, and
telcofe argiilite.

Sinople jafper is found in various .parts of
the range. I have feen it in Columbia, Renfle-
laer, Albany, Schenedady, and Saratoga, coun-
ties. A ftudent at Williams College found one
fpecimen of beautiful ftriped jafper. Several
fpecimens have alfo been found in the vicinity
of Troy ; and one large fpecimen of the moft
beautiful grafs-green.

Cubic maftes of iron pyrites are common in
every part of the range ; fometimes an inch in
diameter. Copper pyrites is found in the var-
niftjed variety, at the canal between Troy and
Tanfuigburgh. A fingular variety of fibrous

AHGILMTH. 173

or itriated quartz Is very abundant In the feams
of the varnifhed variety of argillite in the vici-
nity of Troy. Below where BuePs graywacke
quarry refts on this rock, in the banks of Wy-
nant's Kill, this variety of quartz may be found
in veins many feet in breadth, from one to two
inches in thickness, and ten or twelve inches in
length — calculating the length in the diredion
of the ftriae. I carried fpecimens to New-Ha-
ven, and on comparing it found no fuch varie-
ty in the great cabinet of Gibbs.

At New-Lebanon Springs and in Pownal,
Vt. near the houfe • of Mr. Hall, the argillite
paffes into alum-flate. The expofed parts, at
the lad locality, become perfect alum, or at
leaft there is no fenfible difference between the
alum of commerce and that manufadlured in
this work. (hop of nature.

Several fprings highly charged with fulphu-
retted hydrogen iffue from the varnifhed variety
of argillite near Troy and Albany. Grifcom
analyzed one fpring near the manfion of George
Tibbits, Efq. in Troy and pronounced it a ge-
nuine hepatic fpring. There is one fpring in
Greenbufh, oppofite to Albany, and another a

(76 ARGILLITE.

little below the city of Albany, fo ftrongly
charged with fulphuretted hydrogen, that a
piece of filver coin becomes tarnifhed in a few
feconds after being dipped in it.

Moft geologifts, as Phillips, Jamefon and
others, follow Werner in making a diftincl ftra-
tum of filicious flate or tranfition flinty flate.
But I follow Bakewell in confidering the argil-
laceous, and filicious flate as pafling into each
other. He fays, the flinty flate " appears to
" differ from common flate by containing a
" greater proportion of filicious earth.'* I
have good authority for doing this, within half
a mile of the Troy Lyceum. For the fliore
between the upper and lower Ferries oppofite
to Troy, is a naked rock of difl:in£lly charac-
terized argillite and filicious flate, pafling into
each other feveral times in fuccefllon. Lad
Spring (1819) I conduced Profefl!br Mitchell
and Dr. Akerly to this locality. Both of
thefe difl:inguiflied geologift:s confidered it as
conclufive evidence, that the flinty flate ought
not to be geologically feparated from the ar-
gillite. Phillips fays, p. 134, the "flinty flate
" is of fmall importance j it principally occur?

ARGILLITE. 177

•* in Bohemia, and in the lead hills in Scotland."
And I do not remember that the indefatigable
Bakewell gives any new locality. Perhaps it is
more extenfive in our diftrift, than in any oth-
er hitherto explored. I have found it towards
the wcftern part of our range of argillite all the
way from Schenedady county to Dutchefs.
The city of Hudfon is moflly built upon alluvi-
on, which evidently reds upon flinty flate. The
hill or bluff adjoining the river Hudfon, is a
naked rock of this kind. The bafis of Mount
Marino, fouth of South Bay, is flinty flate j
though it is capped with graywacke. Near
the fouth end of the Caufeway is a remarkable
locality of Lydian ft one, or Bafanite, in the fame
rock. Specimens of it are alfo found in the vi-
cinity of Troy,

There is a vaft: rock half a mile eaft of Lan-
fmgburgh called Diamond Rock. All its fis-
fures or cleavages are lined with cryftals of
quartz ; and moft of its furface is fprinkled
over with them. It confifts of coarfe grains of
quartz aggregated together ; but totally unlike
true granular quartz. For the grains of the
granular quartz have but little luftre, and are

178 AGRILLITE.

moftly opaque and of a dull white or of a yel-
lowifh hue. Whereas the grains of this mafs
are tranflucent, and have a glaffy luftre fo as
to prefent a confiderable degree of brilliancy.
As foon as geology had awakened a fpirit of
enquiry in this vicinity, this rock became a fub-
jeft of confiderable fpeculation. But it was ere
long difcovered, that loofe mafles of a fimilar
rock were fpread over every part of this flate-
rock diflri^. Though none were found fo
large as Diamond Rock ; they were very com-
mon of many tons weight, and thence down to
the moft minute pebbles. Whence were deriv-
ed fuch quantities of a fimilar rock, fpread over
two thoufand fquare miles of territory ? Was
there ever fuch a flratum overlaying the argil-
lite ? Thefe enquiries were repeatedly made ;
but no folution was attempted. A few other
aggregated maffes were obferved by my pupils
in this part of our diftrid, which I could refer
to no aflignable place in the fy items of geology ;
and they all feemed too extenfive to treat as
accidental aggregates. But as foon as the
thought occurred, that the vaft extent of naked
argillite in the neighborhood of the Cohoes
Falls on the Mohawk, might prefent fomething

ARGILLITE. 17y

tending to obviate the difficulty, all fpeculation
ceafed. If the lofty banks of the Mohawk are
examined from the Falls down towards the
Hudfon a few miles, the fame aggregate will oc-
cur in fcores, embraced between the laminae of
argillite. It requires no train of dedudion to
prove, that, when the foft argiUite pafles away
by difmtegration, thofe filicious mafles will en-
dure and remain in the alluvion.

I found. In the fame fituation, all the anoma-
lous aggregates, common to this flaty territory.
Blocks of calcareous fandftone, fpecimens re-
fembling metalUferous limeftone, calcareous
fpar, and various other (tones, are here em-
braced ; but never pais into the argillite nor
prefent any characters indicating any rela-
tion to it.

I have dwelt fo long upon this fubjedl, be-
caufe thefe fa<Sts may tend to elucidate analogous
phenomena in regard to other ftrata, as well as
thofe which relate to this vaft range of argiUite.

Argillite contains veins of milky quartz in
England, according to iiakeweli j* and near

* Page t40 and 141.

ISO ARGILLITE.

Wafhitaw Hot Springs, according to School-
craft.* I have already noticed the fame fadl
in our diftrict. I may add, that thofe large
malTes, which fo frequently occur in the coun-
ties of Columbia, Renffelaer, Saratoga, &c.
were evidently left by the argillite, after it had
become difintegrated. There is a remarkable
mafs more than one hundred feet in diameter,
in the town of Chatham, Columbia county, on
the eafl fide of Indian Brook, near Starkwea-
ther's tanner)\ It confifls of amorphous milky
quartz, with hexahedral cryftals dilTeminated
throughout the whole mafs. I have broken off
cryftals three inches in diameter. But the larg-
er cryftals are not fo tranfparent as the fmaller.
Both terminal pyramids are very perfed: on
quartz cryftals in argillite near Albany and
Troy. Mr. William Yates prefented one to
the Troy Lyceum, fix inches long and three
inches in diameter, with both terminal pyra-
mids, which he found near Troy. Dr. Low
found the moft perfed, large, limpid cryftal I
ever faw, in argillite at Greenbufti.

•_Pagc 183

METALLiFEUOLS LlMLsTOiNK. u

STRATUM 8

METALLIFEROUS LLIIE-
STONE.

AFTER it had been demonflrated, that the
weftern divifion of the granular limeflone, pafs-
ing through Pittsfield, was not the metalliferous
ilratum, as it united with the eaftern or Dalton
divifion in Canaan, Con. it feemed to be admit-
ted that there was no fuch ftratum in our dis-
trict. But as foon as Dr. Edwin James, a
member of the Troy Lyceum, had taken his
geological excurfion from Albany to Canada,
a different opinion began to obtain among geo-
logifts. He difcovered a ftratum of carbonate
of lime, which he traced from near Ticcndero-
ga to Burlington, below the red fandflore and
above the argil lite. And as he difcovered no
graywacke beneath it or eaft of it, and fawfome
evidence of its exiftence as a ftratum immedi-

182 METALLIFEROUS LIMESTONE.

ately above It ; he concluded that this Hme ftra-
turn was between the graywacke and argillite.*
At any rate, he afcertained the fadt of its being
interpofed between red fandflone and argillite j
and that it was too extenfive and independent
for an imbedded mafs. In addition to this, he
found it contained organic relics j of courfe it
could 'not be the primitive ftratum.f From

* This is its pofition in Brocken Mountain, Germany. —
Phillips, p. 114.

f Extract from a paper read before the Troy Lyceum, by Dp,
Edwin James.

" The bed and both fliores of Lake Champlain, St. John's riv-
er, and the iiland of Montreal are tranfition and fecondary.

" At Ticondcroga the rock is granite, with gncifs and fienite
inclining againfl its caflcrn and weftern fides. The compadt
Plmeftone, forming the baCs rock of Montreal ifland, the fliores
and iflands of St. John's and Champlain, abounds in organic re-
lics and maflcs of hornftone. rrcqucntly it confifts in part of
filicious fand. The largcft proportion of the organic remains is
made up of anomitcs. Ptctinitct arc next in quantity ; orthocerites
and ammonltet are not uncommon. CcraUimtct (by fomc confider-
ed as a Tpecies of fea-wecd) arc occafionally found here. At
Crown Point the relics arc not fo abundant. Here the limcfione
has been tut through in conftruvSling the fort, and it is fotind to
reft on breccia. Beneath the breccia is the red fandftone, which
here contains relics probably of corallinites ; though in one in-
ftance I dilcovtred univalve molufcac. Sometimes this ftratum
paflcs into a kind of variegated fandflone, or fomething rcfcm-

METALLIFEROUS LIMESTONE. liiJ

the Ipecimens which he prefeiited to the
Troy Lyceum, it is manifeft that it does not

bling granulir quartz. All theic rocks hold nearly a horizontal
polition.

" A range of hills runs along tlie eaft fide of the like from about
live mile* call of Ticonderoga through Burlington, &c. which
confias of red fauddone, palTiwg into a light coloured fandftone
upwards. It frequently rifes to the height of one thoufand feet
above the furface of the lake. Beneath the ftratum of red fand-
ftonc, and perhaps below where the iuidaone paiTts into gray-
wacke, is a ttratum of limcftone retting on argillaeeous flatc. I
am inclined to conGdcr xhk ftratum as the true tranjithn or metal-
tif:,cu, limeftone, noiwithftanding its eiifteiicc in North America'
has btcn qucftioned. Its texture is intermediate between the
granular and the compact ftrata. Being below the fandftone u
cannot be the compav-l or lecondary ftratum ; and as it certain-
Jy contains organic relies, it cannot be the granular. 1 venture,
therefore, to conlidtr it as the fame ftr.uum with that in wliicfi
the lilver mines of South America are imbedded.

"The argillaceous flate, upon which the tranlition limelloae
refts, contains argillaceous iron ore, calcareous fpar, fulphurct of
iron, and, in one iuftancc, I found «ra//;«/V«.i:mbraccd in it.

" In the vicinity of Middlcbury College, I have not been able
to trace the arrangement of the llrata with much fatisfacliou to
myfelf -, though I examined them more attentively here than at
any other place. The country is decidedly primitive, confifting
of granular quartz, granular limeftonc, mica-flate, talcofe rocks,
&c. In addition to the common difiiculties attending geological
rcfearclies made in primitive countries, here fecms tp be a kind
of interference among feveral crofs ranges. The Green Moun-
tain range ought to be attentively and minutely examined by an
experienced geologift, who has leifarc to compare the various
appearances on an enlarged view of the whole chain."

184 METALLIFEROUS LLMESTONE.

belong to the compact or fecondary limeftone.
.ft appears to be intermediate between granular
and compact, or rather approaching the granu-
lar, in its character or texture. We will anti-
?:icipate lb far as to inform the reader, that the
compafl: limeftone is always above (never be-
low) the red fandftone, where both are prefent,,
in our diflriS:.

G. R. Davis, Efq. a member of the Troy
•Lyceum, has difcovered a pretty extenfive ftra"
turn of limeftone in Hoofack, RenfTelaer county,
interpofed between the graywacke and argillite.
Ets texture is alfo intermediate between the pri-
mitive and fecondary. It is precifely in the
irue geological and geographical locality to be
A continuation of the ftratum obferved by Dr.
fames. I have frequently obferved a range of
limeftone pafling through New-Lebanon, Ca-
naan, &c. in Columbia county, of a texture
much more compad than the granular ftratum.
But I confidered it as a continuation of the
Pittsfield range of primitive ; pafling under the
hill of argilliie weft of Pittsfield, and appearing
again at this place. I may, however, have been
biafCed by theory fo far, ft"? to be convinced

METALLIFEROUS LIMESTONE. 185

without fufHcient examination.* Perhaps this
range may appear to be a continuation of that
which has been obferved by Dr. James and Mr,
Davis ; as it is precilely where it (liould be, if
it is extended in a manner analogous to other
flrata. It is hoped that fome of the members
of the Hudfon Aflbciation of NaturaUfls, will
extend their zeal to the inveftigation of this
fubje^l. For the prefent 1 fliall confider it as
alternating with argillite in this place. Dr.
Akerly difcovered the ores of lead, copper and
zinc in limeftone in the town of Amenia in
Dutchcfs county. It is very probable this is
the true metalliferous limeftone. It would be
doing the fcience a favor, if fome geologift
near that locality would trace it fo far as to dis-
cover its geological relations.

The great filver mines of Potofi in South
America are in this ftratum. We have a fpe-

* Bakewcll fays, p. 135, " It is always defirable, but perhaps
" not always cafy, to keep the defcription of facfts distindt
" from the language of ilieory. With this limitation thco-
" ric8 have their ufc, not only as they affift the memory in con-
" ncdling infulattd facfls, but alfo m they induce us to examine
"nature, in order to prove the truth or fallacy of the fvflem
" which we may be inclined to form or" controvert.

Q 2

iae lyiETALLIFEROUS LIMESTONE.

cimen of it in the Troy Lyceum. Wherevei^
limeflone is found containing ores, if it is not
compaft, we may fufped it to belong to this
ftratum. I have never found any ore, except-
ing iron pyrites, in granular limeflone.

This ftratum feem& never to have been fought
by geologifts in New-England. Excepting in
the Connecticut river range, which paiTes down
to New-Haven, and fome limited patches in the
vicinity of Bofton, there exift no rocks which,
from analogy, ftiould be expe£led to accompany
metalliferous limeftone in our fedion.

Mr. Schoolcraft found metalliferous lime*
llone in Milfouri ;* but he did not particularly
dfcertain its geological connexions. I. M'Coni-
he, Efq. found limeftone, which appears to be
of that ftratum in feveral of the weftern ftates.
^I'Clure mentions beds of this rock running
•hrough Pennfylvania, &c. of a blue, grey, red
ind white colour, in company with graywacke
Hate.t

' Sec Schoolcraft's View of MiffoiHi tuines, p. 195.

': ■;''- ^■t n!,rfrT- .«-;nfl, on t?ic '^colnrv of the U .'^r^r-?. p. r":«

GRAYWACKE. 181

STRATUM 9
GRAYWACKE*

NEXT to the compaft limeflone the gray-
wacke is the moft extenfive flratum in North
America. According to M'CIure it appears,
chat it commences in the Miflifippi Territory
and continues unbroken to Lake Champlain at
leaft, and perhaps into Canada. It forms fome
of the principal ranges of the Allegany, and all
the Catskill, mountains. In our own diftri<5b
it forms the bafis rock of more than ten thou-
fand fquare miles.

Ranges eaji of Hinfdale.

I found feveral patches of well charaderized
graywacke flate along the valley of Worcefler,

* Sometimes erroneoufly fpelt grcywacke, as though it were a
<^ompound of the £ngii(h word grey.

18& GRAYWACKE.

The largefl: which I faw was near the ftage
road eaft of the village.

Meflrs. Danas found the rubbleftone va-
riety of graywacke in confiderable quantities near
Boflon, as appears by their defcription. But
they fay no {^ratification of graywacke has been
obferved there. I certainly faw pretty large
loofe mafles lying about Bunker's hill, when I
was there, of the fined flaty variety. I have a
fpecimen of it now before me. I faw none in
place ; but from thofe fragments I fufpeO:ed
its place might be found in that vicinity.

There is a pretty extenfive locality of gray-
wacke flate fouth of Northampton, a4ternating
with red fandflone. It is a very common ftone
in the fide-walks at Northampton. I have feen
it where it conllitutes a fmall hill, at the outlet
of SalftonflalPs pond at Eaft-Haven. Alfo in
a pretty exte'nfive field between the Milford
marble quarry and the village of Milford. It
is greenilh and might be taken for greenftone
trap by an inexperienced obferver. I do not
know what range to clafs it with, as I before
faid of the Miltord marble. It is however a

GRAYWACKE. J8»

very limited ftratum in New-England. So are
all tranfition and fecondary rocks, excepting
red fandllone.

Ra7ige wejl of Hlnfdalc.

I will now return to the proper region of
graywacke. It reclines immediately on the
argillite along the whole length of the weft
bounds of MafTachufetts. But it is either cut
off together with the argillite by the valley of
New-Lebanon, or both ftrata alternate with the
metalliferous limeflione. In the tranfverfc fec-
tion I have adopted the latter opinion j leav-
ing any neceflary alterations to future enquiry,
Though the graywacke is fcarcely interrupted
for fo great an extent along the line of Mafla-
chufetts, it is interrupted by frequent valleys
throughout the counties of Columbia and Rens-
felaer. In truth it merely caps the hills of ar-
gillite, excepting in a very few localities, until
it paffes more than half acrofs the county of
Columbia, and entirely acrofs the county of
Renfl'elaer.

A little weft of MafTachufetts line, diredlly
upon the turnpike road leading from Weft-

190 GRAYWACKE.

Stockbridge meetinghoufe to Hudfon, is a loca-
lity demonftrating the grayvvacke (rubbleftone)
and graywacke flate to be the fame rock. Here
the graywacke flate is as perfect as in any part
of the Catskill Mountain, pafTing into the coars-
eft and mofl perfed rubbleftone ; all in the
fame individual rock. This rock is of feveral
miles extent north and fouth, and the rubble-
ftone is the upper part of it throughout. Thefe
two varieties are fimilarly fituated towards the
top of Catskill Mountain,

The rubbleftone variety is the hardeft an^
moft durable. In every part of the counties of
Columbia, Renflelaer and Greene, rounded
maflTes of rubbleftone, from a foot in diameter
down to an inch, are ftrewed over the fields
and along the highways, to the great annoy-
ance of the agriculturalift and traveller.

The graywacke becomes the principal bafis
rock near Hudfon river ; though its commence-
ment is in a zigzag line. Near the weft line
of Chatham on the Hartford and Albany turn-
pike, in Claverack on the Union Turnpike,
and near Albany, there are extenfive localitie?.
of that brittle variety of graywacke, which Dr.

CJRAYVVACKE. 19i

Mitchill calls brittle flate.* The locality in
Claverack meets a field of the compad lime-
ftone in a very abrupt manner. Soon after
crofling the river Hudfon we enter upon the
vaft territory of perfe£l graywacke.f Though

* Sec Brucc's Journal, p. i.

f Eitradl from a paper read before the Troy Lyceum, by Dr.
I. M. Wells.

" That part of the county of Albany, which is fituated near
the Hudfon, between the city of Albany and Bethlehem, prcfents
very little to intercft the gcologift ; excepting the part which im-
mediately adjoins the bank of the river: being moflly fo deeply
buried in the proper alluvion, it is difBcult to afcertain the bafis
rock.

" From Bethlehem, twelve miles fouthwefterly from Albany,
nearly to Durham in Greene county, the lowefl rocks in view
arc graywacke ; while mofl of the hills and high ridges are ter-
minated upwards by compatfl limeftoue. This upper ftratum
(eems to conGft wholly of organic relics, cemented together by
the fame in a further flate of di (integration. The fame fpecies
of organic remains prevail throughout this diflridl, which are
found moft abundant in this flratum in every part of the ftate.
Anomitet and fectinites probably conftitute niut tenths of the
whole. Ttrebratulites and gryphites (two of the varieties of ano-
mites) arc very abundant A cornute variety of madreporite,
tHcrinilet, entrocbites, celleporites, retcporitij, orlboceriles, and cornu-
ammonitcs are often found.

"There arc fcveral vafl fpurs extending wefterly from the Cats-
kill Mountains, between Durham Peak and the fouth bounds of
Ulder and Sullivan counties. There is a remarkable uniformity

■192 GRAYVVACKE.

Other ftrata reft upon it, we difcover nothing
beneath it in a wefterly diredion in the ftate of
New- York ; and probably not much eaft of the
Rocky Mountain at the head of the Miffouri.
It forms the valleys and the bafes of all the
mountains and hills, for one hundred and thir-
ty miles in a wefterly direction. About thirty-
five miles beyond the Sufquehanna river, we

in all thefe fpurs, fo f<ir as refpcAs their geological flru(Sture.
The foundation is always graywacke, and the higher ftrata arc
red fandftone and breccia. In feme places there appears to be
the remaining veftiges of compadt limeftone.

" Large boulders of primitive rocks are frequently found here ;
though not 3 primitive rock exifls in place nearer than the Higli-
lands They are chiefly gneifs and fitnite, foraetimes granulw
quartz, and rarely granite.

" Petrifadlions abound in all the great fpurs of the Catskiil,
both in thegraywacke and red fartdftone. I procured fpccimens
oi fectinitesygrypbites, and terehratulites , near Batavia kill. The in-
habitants report that they proem e pttrifitd butterflies on the
top of a very lii^h mountain, al)out tin miles from this place.
Thefe are probably trilobites ; becauft thisfpccies of rtlics is ufu-
ally called the butterfly, or miller, by the common people.

" The foil upon and between thtfi- mountain fpurs is juft as a
theoretical gcologift would conjctflure. The graywackc furnillies
the filicious and argillaceous mattrijls. Where it approaches
the fo.t argillaceous variety, the loil it furniflics is of courfc the
elavcy kind. Where the rock padcs into the qtiartzofc variety,
it gives a fandy foil. In many places iht debris of the lately dis-
integrated lime ftratum is very manifcft "

c;kaywacke. 19;^

fall in with confiderable compact iimeflone,
under which the graywacke and the red fand-
ftone begin partially to difappear.

A defcription of the eafl: face of Catsklll
Mountain, will be a pretty correal defcription
of the whole of this graywacke region. Be-
ginning at the village of Catskill, we meet with
a hill of compad bluifh graywacke near Ben-
ton's bridge, which*a carelefs obferver might
miftake for greenftone trap. Proceeding along
upon the little Delav/are turnpike to the Cats-
kill mountain, we find the graywacke uninter-
rupted ; though it is covered with a field of
compad: limeflone for about two miles. On
afcending the mountain we pafs over all the
varieties of this ftiatum. The eafl face of the
mountain is made up of the perpendicular ter-
minations of horizontal layers, arranged like a
flight of fteps. This arrangement has induced
many of thofe geologifls, who prefer reading
in a clofet to an examination of the produc-
tions of nature, to denominate this the trap for-
mation. This is however an excellent name
for a fuperficial geologifl ; for it is fo vague
in its application, that it may be made to mean
almofl any rock.

R

194 GRAYWACKE.

Some of the layers are hard, coarfe and rough j
others are fo very foft that during feveral years
refidence here, I miftook them for argillite.
After afcending about eight hundred feet, we
fall in with a layer of red fandftone. From
this place the graywacke and red fandflone al-
ternate with each other four or five times in
about one thoufand feet. There are two lakes
on the mountain, which are fituated in a de-
prefllon in it, through which the turnpike
road was wrought. On afcending about one
hundred feet either to the north or fouth, the
red fandflone, fupporting the breccia, becomes
general,

I traverfed the weftern fpurs of this moun-
tain, taking a furvey with chain and compafs
for about fixty miles wefterly, taking three
feparate nearly parallel routes, about twelve
miles afunder. I found the fame alternations
of red fandflone among the upper layers of
graywacke, every where. The rubbleflone va-
riety occurred frequently j but was not uni^
verfal.

If nature would prefent all her rocks fo na-
ked to our view as the graywacke, &c. of this,

GRA\ VYACKE. 195

portion of our diflricl, we fhould no longer
have occafioii for nice enquiry. The wild wa-
ters of the mad Schoharie, hare laid bare a deep
winding channel in this range for fifty miles.
The Delaware and the Sufquehanna have alfo
wafhed the flat furfaces and perpendicular edg-
es of the fame rocks more than one hundred
miles.

The fine-grit and the coarfe-grit grindftone^,
precifely the fame varieties as thofe which are im-
ported from Nova Scotia, arc found in vaft
quantities imbedded in this rock, both in Cats-
kill and Blenheim.*

• ExtratSl from a paper which 1 read before tiicTroy Kycct'.ai.

At the time when the Troy Lyceum authorifcd me to m.ikc
in excurfion through the caflcrn part of this flatc and into New.
England, at the cxpenfe of this focitty, to col5e<Il geological fa<fl3
and geological and mincralogical fpecimens.his honor John Lan-
fing, Jr. L. L.D. late ctancciior of this ftate, very emphatically
exprefled his approbation of this new mode of improving natural
fciencc. He then afTurcd me, that he would, at iiis individual
eipcnfc, caufc a geological furvey to be taken of the country to
a conQderable ditUnce on the weft fide of the Hudfon, wlienevcr
1 could conveniently attend to it. Accordingly I fct out on the
propofcd expedition on the 15th of lafl May, (1819) and returned
on the 30th. During fcveral days I was accompanied by the
Chancellor, in perfon, and profited much by his rcfletfbious upon
the various occurrences which appertained to the objeijl of our
refearche^.

iSS GRAYWACXE.

hi the fide of a ledge of graywacke at a place
called Bear's Ladder in Blenheim, near the
well bank of Schoharie kill, I obferved a feries

It would be as dif&cult as iinintcrcfling to difcriminatc, in this
cfTay, between the obfervations of the Chancellor and of myfelf,
made during the excurfion. Though our opinions were often at
variance, we reviewed, reconfidered and difcufTed, until we agreed
on all material points.

TJic diilri'51 of country which fell immediately under review,
embraced a large proportion of the counties of Schoharie, Greene
ami Delaware, and a fniall part of the county of Albany. The
bafis rock between the rivers Hudfon and Sufquehanna is gray-
wacke; and from fpecimens received, and former obfervations,
I sm xiuthorifed to (late that the fame flratum continues thirty
or forty miles flill farther wcfV. Towards its upper furface this
reck abounds in organic relics, which are moMy pictinites and ano-
miiis. We found fome ojiraiiut, one concba-vennite, (as named by
I.c Sueur) and fcvcral other rare fpecimens.

We found no organic relics far below the furface of the gray-
wacke. I believe they are rarely found at a great depth in this
rock. In truth I have never feen any relics far below the furface
of this rock, excepting an ortboceritt, which was dug out of the ar-
uUlaccous rtate rock at the porth end of this city. But Dr. Ed-
•.vin James found petrifa(5tions of bivalve fliclls in what he con-
iidered as the argillaceous flate and tranfition lime rock near
lake Champhin.

Imbedded in the graywacke there are vafl layers of fandflone,
of very dKTcrcnt colours and textures. Some are coarfe, being
prccifely the fame aggregate as tliat fr.om which the Nova Scotia
};r!ndftoncs arc taken. Some arc fine grained, and fimilar to tiic
iinc-grit griudftoncs ufcd by carpenters. Some are even fo fine
ilut excellent hones ft>r razors arc maDufa«5lurcd frotn thcoji.

GRAYWACKE. 197

of globular maffes of well characlerized gray-
wacke, each three feet in diameter. They are
compofed of concentric fpheres, one. within an-
other ;- and are fet in firmly between two hori-

Along the bank of Scholuric kill, in tlic town of Blenheim, rans
an cxtenfive layer of fandflone, of a peculiar kind. It confifts of
fine particles of quartz, nioftly cemented together by carbonate
of lime and a little alumine, and is fpotted with dots of red oxyd
of iron. Three miles weft there is a fimilar layer, feveral hun-
dred feet higher. The latter has been wrought into very beaa-
tiful building ftone ; fpecimcns of wliich may be feca in the fa-
cings of feveral buildings in Albany.

On afccnding the mountains, we always fell in with red fand-
HoDc; and the higheft mountains are often capped with breccia.
This arrangement of ftrata is remarkably uniform throughout a
Uiflrict of country about one hundreil and thirty miles from eaft
to weft, and, with a few exceptions, the extent is about the fame
from north to fouih. The red fandftone always alternates feve-
ral times with the uppermoft layers of graywacke before it be-
-omes uniform. Towards the tops of fome of the higheft liills,
we meet with breccia, rtfting on the diflcrent layers of red fand-
ftone. I have often seen the breccia rcfting on the red fandftone
lud graywacke, forming thofe vaft horizontal fteps in Catskill
Mountains, many hundred feet below otjjcr ftep.s which were al-
io compofed of graywacke, red fandftone and breccia. Though
t never traced the breccia fo as to fee that it was overlaid by the
graywacke or red fandftone; yet from a liafty view, thcfc three
ftrata fccm to alternate with each other. At any rate, the red
fandftone and graywacke certainly do alternate in every part of
the diftridb; which forms a ftrong argument in favor of Bake^
well's opinion, that the red fandflone ought to be placed in tffc
traofitioD claf5.

R 2

i?G GRAYWACKE.

zontal layers of grayvvacke, like cheefes fet ver-
tically between the fhelves of a pantry. All of
ihein happen to be broken through their cen-
tres ; fo that they prefent their concentric lay-
ers as diftinctly as an onion cut through trans-
verfely.

i'he red fandftone throughout the whole of this vaft dlftridl,
<;uataias that kind of organic relics, which is denomiaated ialmiiu
in the geological Index. From the reflections of Dr. P. 8. Town-
fend, and from further examination, I am now inclined to confid-
er it as a fpecies of the genus erifmaicUu of Martin. As this ge-
nus is who'lj of marine origin, all evidence that this (Iratum b?-
• >ng6 to the lecondarv claf* feem» to be removed.

Large boulders and blocks of compadl fhell limeftonc arc found
•n various part* of this diftridl. Thefe are manifeftly the remains
"f a broken down ftratam, which once cstcndcd over a vaft terri-
tory. In the vicinity of Hiidfon, Catgkill, and some other places^
citenSTe fields of this flratum flill remain. Thefe maflcs fcem to
have fliuden down from above the graywacke to a lower level, and
often to have become concealed beneath the more recent alluvial
depottes. The remaining monuments, which indicate the for-
mer exiftence and difiutegration of the lime ftratum, are nume-
rous. The vertical cleavages of the graywacke are frequently
lined with cjlcartous fpar, or with perfe<ft cryftals of carbonate
of lime. The perpendicular ledges are often faced with calcare-
ous tufa, evidently difiblved and depofited by carbonated wa*
!crs v;hich have long fince ceafcd to flow.

Throughout the town of Blenheim we find fcattcred blocks of
ancifs and Gcnite, Hmilar to thofc found among thewcfVern fpurs
of Catskill Mountains, by Dr. Wells, and thofe which arc fij
abundanly Orcwcd over tlie rctintics ef Albany and Sd^ohaxit-

GRA?\VACKE. 190

Towards the top of a mountain nearly oppofite
to the laft locality on the eafl fide of Schoha-
rie kill, about eight hundred feet above it, there
is a horizontal layer of graywacke, which is
pierced in all dire«5lions with holes refembling
thofe in amygdaloid. The next layer above it
contains coralUnites. On comparing them I am
inclined to believe, that the holes were caufed
by the decompolition of the animals under fuch
circumftances as to leave the fpaces occupied
by them empty.

While I am on the fubjed of coralUnites I
would ask, whether thofe arborefcent white

The nearcd primitive dirtritfia, from which thcfe blocks could
have originated, are the Highlands, and the range caft of Pitts-
field, in Maflachufctts ; the former about eighty, and the latter
about fcventy, miles diilant, in a right line. Perhaps an accu-
rate comparifon of fpccimens might aid uy in tracing thefc blocks
back to their parent (Irata, and eventually lead to many intercd-
ing reflexions. A fragment of about one foot by two, confifting
of ferpcntinc, containing greenifli calcareous fpar, beautifully
cryftallized and traverfed by the amianthus variety of asbeftos,
was found near the northead corner of Blenheim. Iron Pyrites
and talc are diHeminated through the ferpentine. I never faw a
fpccimen of this aggregate in the eaftern range of primitive rocks;
hut it is very abundant in the Highlands. Therefore, until
^orciadts arc cuUedled,! fhould be inclined to reicr this ma fs
to the latter range.

200 GRAYWACKE.

ftrlpes, fo common on the upper layers of
gray wacke, may not be the obfcure petrifaftions
of corallinites ? I am aware that flripes, much
refembling them, are very frequent in granular
quartz, which is evidently primitive. And
that it may be faid we ought to prefume that
the fame caufe produced thefe appearances in
both. But I have feen feveral fpecimens in
graywacke, where thofe ftreaks were diftinft
cylinders eafily broken out entire.

European books fay, that graywacke paffes
into argillaceous flate. I adopted this opinion
in the firft edition of this Index, and was there-
by greatly milled. There is a manifefl diftinc-
tion between rocks paffing into, and alternating
with, each other. After the moil accurate ex-
amination of which I am capable, I difcover
no evidence of this fa£t. Near Troy are feve-
ral remarkable localities, prefenting the two
ftrara diftindly at the place of their meeting.
I find many layers of graywacke flate which
are fofter than any argillite. There is one lo-
cality near Schoharie kill about half a mile
foutheaft of the manfion of Jacob Southerland,
Efq. of Blenheim ; and another in Carlifle,
Schoharie county, containing the blue fibror

UKAVWACKE. 201

lulphate of barytes. But in all thefe, the pre-
fence of thofe glimmering fcales of talc forms a
decifive characterillic. Though this variety is
chiefly an argillaceous fubftance, in which there
is more alumina than in argillite itfelf j yet its
geological relations are very different, and it
may always be diftinguilhed in hand fpecimens
by the fliining fcales. I have no doubt this is
the loft argillite fo frequently noticed in Indiana,
&c. by Mr. D. Thomas.

This foft variety of argillaceous graywacke
contains blue fibrous fulphate of flrontian in
Pennfylvania, according to Seybert.* But it is
probably the fame variety of fulphate of barytes
above defcribed ; for this new variety deceived
Cooper, Mitchill, Townfend, Low and feveral
others, as well as myfelf ; while we relied on
its external charaders. But an analyfis readily
detected the millake.

The moft beautiful large fized cubes of iron
pyrites are found in graywacke flate and rub-
bleftone. I have obferved that it is mod abun-
dant in the lowed layers, or nearefl: to the ar-
gillite. In the parifh of New Concord, Colum-

• See ClcaveUnd'i Mineralogy, p. IZ7.

202 GRAYWACKE.

bla county, the radiated variety is very abun-
dant. Mr. A. Cady prefented a fpecimen from
there to the Troy Lyceum, about two inches
in diameter, which is a moft perfe£l oblate
fpheroid. Anthracite, or glance coal, is found
at Schuyler's quan'y, and feveral other places in
graywacke near Troy.

Graywacke Is confiderably metalliferous, but
its ores are generally in the layers nearefi:
to the argillite. The fulphuret of lead in Li-
vingllon's manor is faid to be found in the up-
per layers of the argillite and in the lower lay-
ers of graywacke. The late Dr. Livingfton of
Hudfon prefented to the Troy Lyceum fpeci-
mens of fulphuret of lead^ contained in well
characterized graywacke. This he found in
place in the Manor, fix miles eaft of Hudfon
River, and about the fame diflance weft of the
principal mine. The Rev. F. C. Schaeffer
found fulphuret of filver and fulphate of bary-
tes with the Manc«" lead.

In Blenheim on the fouth fide of the Sufque-

hanna turnpike road near the 43 mile ftone is

an extenfive bed in graywacke of a fubftancc,

confiding of carburet of iron, black oxyd of

GRAYWACKE. . 201;

manganefe and red and black oxyd of iron.
The fame fubflance is found in Renflelaer coun-
ty and in Hillsdale in Columbia county, all in
the fame variety of graywacke.

I have in my pofleflfon a fpecimen of gray-
wacke flate, which contains fhort cryftals of fap-
phire. It was picked up on New- York liland
by Dr. John Torrey about five years ago j but,
being thrown among unafTorted minerals, was
not noticed until lately. As there is not a
known locality of fapphire in North America,
it will be well to make further fearch among
the graywacke.

The upper layers of the graywacke contain
numerous organic relics. I'hey are moftly the
remains of extind fpecies of animals. Bake-
well fays the remains found in tranfition rocks
** may be regarded as ancient records, imprint-
" ed with the natural hiftory of the firft inha-
" bitants of the globe. We learn from the or-
" ganic remains and impreflions which thefe
" rocks contain, that zoophytes and {hell-fifh,
*' which are ccundered as forming the lowed
" link in the fcale of animal creation, were the
" fird that received tlie gift of life."

204 GRAYWACKE.

Graywacke, like argilHte, does not contain
petrifadions in every part of any range. I have"
fearched for them in vain for many miles.
Then I have found immenfe quantities of them,
in the very fame rock, which, for a great ex-
tent, did riot prefent a fragment. In Blenheim
I procured for the Troy Lyceum abundance of
fectinites and anomites, alfo a few myiilites and
one venerite. Trilobites abound in the gray-
wacke near Hudfon. It is a remarkable fad,
that the metaUic fubflances are mollly confined
to the lower, and the organic relics to the upper,
layers of graywacke. The rubbleftone variety,
which is generally among the uppermoft layers,
contains the mofl relics in the loofe fragments
along the Schoharie kill in Blenheim, a little
northerly from the manfion of Mr. Southerland.

As the graywacke abounds in fulphuret of
h'on, hepatic and chalybeate fprings are not un-
common in it. From a hafly anal) fis, made in
the open field, of the waters of a fpring
three fourths of a mile north of the toll-gate
at the forty-third mile ftone on the Suique-
hanna turnpike In Blenheim, I inferred that
they v.ere ftrongly charged with fu'phate of
iron and flightly with fulphuretted and carbu-

GRAYVVACKt:. , SOJ

i-cttcd hydrogen. Infufion of galls gives dark
purple in two minutes ; nitrate of mercury firfl
gives a grey cloud then precipitates a black
powder ; nitrate of filver gives a red colour in
half a minute, which becomes darkifli purple in
five minutes. Neither barytic water nor oxa-
late of ammonia produces any change. The
odour is that of fulphuretted and carburetted hy-
drogen. On drinking half a pint of the water
I felt a fenfation of drynefs in the mouth and
throat. A difagreeable fenfation in the fto-
mach and pain in the head enfued. It is ufed
by thofe who refide in this vicinity, as a cathar-
tic, and as an anti-fcorbutic wafli. It ilTues
from a cleavage in the graywacke rock 50 ictt
-below the top of the ledge.

I have detained the reader with a more par-
ticular defcription of this fpring, than comports
with the plan of this Index. But as fprings,
in their fenfible qualities refembling this, fre-
quently occur in this graywacke region, this
may ferve for a general delcription of the whole.

206 RED SANDSTONE.

STRATUM 10.
RED SANDSTONE.

THIS is the old red fandftone of Werner,
which he places in the fecondary clafs ; but
Bakevvell places it in the tranfition clafs. I
have given my reafons for following Bakevvell
in the Grammar of Geology. M'CIure was
inclined to place it here after taking a mofl: ex-
tenfive view of the geology of the United
States;* and I have no doubt but every Ame-
rican geologifl will finally adopt his opinion.

I expected to fee fome pretty large patches
of red fandftone fet down on the geological
map of Meflrs. Danas ; becaufe I faw loofe frag-
ments of it in the vicirity of Bofl:on,particuIar-

* See American Journal of Science, p. an.

UED SANDSTONL. S07

ly about Charleftown. But they did not dis-
cover any, wliich they deemed worthy of a
place in their treatife.

In the Connecticut river range, the red fand-
flone is pretty extenfive. It alternates with
graywacke below Northampton, as in Catskill
Mountains. I have traced it from Greenfield,
Mais, to New-Haven. It follows the courfe of
Connedicut river as low as Middletown. The
river inclines to the eafl, cutting its way through
the primitive rocks, from that place ; leaving
the red fandlloneto continue its courfe to Long-
Ifland Soijnd. It is feveral miles in breadth all
its way acrofs the (late of Connecticut. It
palTes under and fupports a range of greenRone
trap hills from Deerfield to New-Haven. Weft
of Hartford it paffes under the greenftone ridge
and appears again in the banks of Farmington
river ; and it holds this breadth in the narrow-
eft part, in a fouthern direction to the Sound.

Returning to the ftate of New-York, we find
it a very important ftratum. The range on
Hudfon's river below the Highlands at Tap-
pan bay, is well known ; but I have no know-

208 RED SANDSTONE.

ledge of its having been traced to any confide-
rable didance northerly, or northeafterly. Dr.
Akerly has traced it along under the greenflone
trap from below Haverflraw to Fort Lee, thence
through mod of the ftate of New-Jerfey.*

As was obferved under the defcription of the
graywacke, it alternates with the upper layers
©f that flratum all the way from the eaft face of
Catskill Mountain to about thirty five miles
beyond the Sufquehanna. At a place two
Uiiles north of Durham ftreet, Greene county,
ihe red fandftone defcends even to the bottom
oL a valley ; but it is generally confined to the
higheft elevations. There are feveral fields of
it, which appear as though they had been un-
dermined by the difintegration of their fupport-
ing graywacke and tumbled down many hun-
dred teet. There is one hill of this defcription
of the brittle flaty kind, a little north of the
manfion of John Livingfton, Efq. nearly oppo-
fite to Catskill ; another a few miles eaft of
Kinderhook ; another of great extent about a
mile northeafterly from the refidence pf Neri
Stoddard, Efq. in Cairo, Greene county,

» Sec tbc Geolojjy of the Hudfcn River, by Dr. S. Akcrly

RED SANDSTONE. 209

The layers which alternate with the gray-
wacke are always harder than thofe above,
where the red fandflone becomes uniform.
There is a mountain in Blenheim, called Mine-
ral Hill, which is ahnoft wholly red fandflone
for feveral hundred feet in thicknefs. This is
of about as foft a texture as that of the Tappan
range ; confequently may be denominated red
freeftone.

It is remarkable, that where the graywacke
dips beneath the upper ftrata, the red fandftone
difappears with it, or in a very fmall diflance.
But both thefe ftrata feem to be laid bare at in-
tervals very far to the weft, in the compact
limeftone redon. Mr. M'Conihe faw it in In-

o

diana in fome deep ravines and ledges, and
Mr. Schoolcraft faw it in the banks of the Mis-
fifippi. At the bottom of the Niagara Falls it
appears, alternating with the brittle flaty variety
of graywacke, as in Catskill Mountains.* It

• Sec Dr. Mitchill's appendix to the New- York edition of Cu-
▼icr's Theory of the Earth, p. 352. The arrangement of rocks
at thefe Falls demonftrates the importance of confidcring ftrata
on a large fcale. Becaufe from this local view it would appear,
that this variety of friable graywacke held its place in the fyftem
next to compadl lirtcAone, and above red faudftouc. Whereas

S 2

210 RED SANDsiuNE.

appears alfo along the fhores of Lake Ontario,
of Ofwego river, Ike.

Bakewell fays, page 112, that coal is never
found below red fandflone, and that metals are
never found above it in the form of veins. I do
not know, that thefe declarations have been
corroborated by refearches made in our diftrid.

A peculiar kind of organized remains Is very
common in the red fandflone of our diftridt.
The bell localities, to which I can refer the
reader, are, at the Mineral Hill in Blenheim,
and one mile fouth of the upper lake on Cats-
kill Mountain, about one mile eaft of Edwards*
lawmill at the outlet of the lov/er lake. Thefe
relics require particular notice.

Jamefon, in his notes to Cuvier,* fays ;
•' The red fandllone contains but few petrifac-

any one, who cliinl)s the numerous mountains of Greene, Scha-
harie and Delaware, will learn, that the upper layers of the gray-
wacke always alternate fcveral times with red fandflone before
we come to the compact limcftonc. And that fometimes the fri-
able variety of graywackc will happen to be uppcrmofl next to
the Ijmcftoae 1 have feen two fuch localities in Columbia coun-
ty. One at Becrafi's Monutain, and one in Claverack.

• See New-York edition of C.ivicf's Theory of the Eanh,
page 131.

RED SANDSTONE. 2j|

" tions, and thefe are principally of trunks or
" branches of trees, fome of which appear to
*' refemble thofe of tropical regions/' I adopt-
ed this opinion on my firfl examination of thefe
relics. The roots of the kalmia latifolia (com-
mon laurel) are of the clofeft texture and fined
grain, perhaps, of any frutefcent plant in the
northern latitudes. Pieces of thefe petrifactions
feveral feet in length may be feen in great quan-
tities at both thefe localities, which prefent a
ftriking refemblance to the roots of this Ihrub.
But on tracing feveral fpecimens to their natu-
ral terminations, they appear to end like the
terete pofterior extremity of the common earth-
worm, or angling worm. I depofited a very
perfed fpecimen of this defcription in the Troy
Lyceum. After a very attentive review of
thoufands of thefe petrifactions, I am convinced
that their prototype was not any fpecies of plant
with which I am acquainted ; and I am inclin-
ed to refer them to the tribe of naked vermes ;
notwithftanding they prefent arborefcent plant-
like appearances. I fay naked, becaufe there
is not a particle of carbonate of lime embraced
in them. But they are perfect fubftitutions of
fandftone, though much finer grained than the
enclofing rock. They are from one inch in di-

212 RED SANDSTONE.

ameter to the fize of a fmall goofequill. I have
traced fome of them ten or twelve feet in a fer-
pentlne courfe, without finding a natural termi-
nation, and fometimes without difcovering
much difference in the diameter. Their texture
fometimes appears a little fibrous, and often pre-
fents the appearance of concentric layers.
Though their natural form is terete, they are
often much compreffed.

They are not confined to the plane of the
layers of the enclofing rock ; but often pene-
trate it obliquely. Several branches originate
from a thick (lock in fome fpecimens like roots
from the bottom of a flump.

Not many ores have been difcovered in the
red fandftone of our diftrid. Antimonial cop-
per ore was found in it near Hartford, Con. by
M'Clure ; and both the red oxyd and carbonate
of copper in New-Jerfey by Gibbs.

Many profitable quarries of this ftratum are
wrought in our diftrict. That at Tappan on
Hudfon's river and at Chatham on Connedi-
cut river are among the beft. Many others
might be wrought which are overlooked, in
various parts of the flate of New-York.

III. SECONDARY CLASS.

Introductory Remarks from BakeweU*

" AS there are indubitable proofs that water
©nee covered all the exifting continents, it fol-
lows that, when the ocean retired, or, which is
the fame in effed:, when the dry land emerged
from the fea, vafl inland feas or lakes would
be left, at the bottom of which the secondary
STRATA were formed.

" As the fea retired further, the higher
grounds being left dry, thefe large inland feas or
lakes would be contracted, and a number of

• See Bakewell's introdudltion to Geology, pages 227, aa8,
234 — 237, fecond London edition. Not being an advocate for
any geological theory, and »wifliing to prcfent the lead excep-
tionable one to the reader, I have fcletfled thefe remarki from
Bake well.

214 REMARKS ON THE

fmaller infulated lakes would occupy the loweft
cavities and depreffions ; in each of which fe-
parate depofitions of llrata might take place.
The lower ftrata would therefore be the mofl
widely fpread, and the upper would conflitute
independent or local formations of greater or
lefs extent, in which there might be great fimi-
larity in fome fituations, and much diverfity in
others. Now fuch is found to be the fa£t.
The above I confider not as hypothetical as-
fumptions, but as legitimate inferences from
jndifputable fa£ts, which will go far to explain
the formation of the upper furface of the globe
in a fimple and intelligible manner, confonant
with its prefent phyfical flruclure.

" On the continent of America, nature aQ:s
upon a magnificent fcale. Were her operations
attended to, they might illuftrate many intereft-
ing fadls in geology. Since the banks of the
cataraft of Niagara were inhabited by Europe-
ans, they have obferved that it is progreffively
fhortening the diftance from Lake Erie to Lake
Ontario. When it has worn down the inter-
vening calcareous rocks and effefted a junftion,
the upper lake will become dry land, and form

SECONDARY CLASS. 215

an extenfive plain, furrounded by rifing ground,
and watered by a river or fmaller lake, which
will occupy the loweft part.

" In this plain future geologifts may trace
fucceflive layers of frefh- water formation, cover-
ing the fubjacent limeftone. The gradual de-
pofition of minute earthy particles, or the more
rapid fubfidence of mud from fudden inunda-
tions, will form different diftinft beds, in which
will be found remains of frefh-water fifh, of ve-
getables and of quadrupeds.* ►

" Large animals are frequently borne along
by the rapidity of the current, and precipitated
down the cataraft. Their broken bones mix-
ed with calcareous fediment, may form calcare-
ous rocks where the waters firft fubfide after
their defcent. Bones of quadrupeds are found
thus intermixed in the calcareous rock at Gib-
raltar.

" Perhaps there was a period when the branch-
es of Mount Atlas in Africa were united with

* Myron Hollcy, Efq. after four yeari of attentive oWfcrration
in the wtdcrn pirt of tlie ftate of N. York, wliilc Afting C.inal
Comminioncr, is flrongly inclined to this theory of local forma-
tion!.

216 REMARKS, kc.

the mountains of Spain, and the Mediterranean
mixed its waters with the Atlantic through a
narrow paflage like that of Niagara. "Thefe
two feas would then have a different level, and
a ftupendous cataract might exift near the
rocks of Calpe, and bury under its waves many
of the animals that attempted to crofs the cur-
rent,

" From the mtermixture of thefe bones with
calcareous fediment, the prefent rocks with their
ofleous remains, may have originated. And
thefe calcareous ft rata may have been raifed to
their prefent elevation by a fudden fubterranean
explofion, which opened a paflage for the wa-
ters of the Atlantic, and reduced both feas to
their prefent level.

" I believe, that an enlarged view will be
fufficient to prove that all the ftratified rocks
above red fandftone, are local formations, which
had their origin in detached hollows or feas of
great extent, and are limited to certain portions
of the globe."*

• Sec Dr. Mltchill's remarks upon the ancient barriers in our
diftri^, ia his appendix to Cuvicr's I'heory of the Earth.

BKECCIA. 215

STRATUM 11.
BRECCIA.

THIS ftratum, like the red fandllone, feenis
not to be univerfal, in its proper geological'
place. But it is rarely wanting where the red
fandflone is prefent. In our diftri^l: it is chiefly
confined to the Connecticut River ranee, and
to the graywacke region in the ftate of New-
York. It is the only fecondary ftratum, which
I have feen in place eafl of the ftate of New-
York. I have lately been told however, by an
intelligent young man, that not only graywacke,
in which the grindftone beds are found, but
compad: limeftone and g^'pfum alfo, appear in
the fame order of fucceflion in Nova-Scotia, as
in the ftate of New- York. Mr. Hitchcock
prefented to the Troy Lyceum a fpecimen of
bituminous fliale with an impreiTion of a fish,

T

216 BRECCIA.

which was taken from Connefticut river near
Deerfield. Similar fpecimens have been found
at the Rhode-Ifland coal mines and at Middle-
town, Con. But I do not confider this fhale
or coal as entitled to a place among regular flra-
ta. They are unqueftionably local formations ;
whether Bakeweirs theory in relation to all fe-
condary rocks be received or not.

It is a misfortune to this part of the fcience
of geology, that breccia is fo often confounded
with both red fandflone and puddingftone by
American geologifts. Breccia in our diflriO:
always refls upon red fandftone and is generally
reddifli. Puddingftone has no conformable po-
fition ; and it confifts of mere maffes of gravel
, cemented together, generally by carbonate of
limet Breccia, in the Conne6:icut river range
and in the graywacke region in the ftate of
New- York, is made up of fragments of primi-
tive rocks ; m.oflly of gneifs rocks. Pudding-
ftone, wherevsr I have examined it, confifts of
pebbles of graywacke, argillite, milky quartz,
or of whatever conftitutes the gravel of that
immediate vicinity.

It is a remarkable fadl, that, notwithftanding
the breccia of Catskill Mountains is feparated

BKECCr:*, -17

from the primitive rocks of Maflachufctts by
twenty miles of argillite which contains im-
mense quantities of milky quartz, it does not
contain either argillite or milky quartz. 1
have examined the breccia on the highell part
of Catskill Mountain, near the Delaware and
Sufquehanna rivers, in Blenheim, and many
other towns j and I find it contains a large
proportion of that tranflucent variety of quartz
which forms a conftituent of granite and gneifs.
The Connecticut river range differs only in
containing more felfpar, and in being generally
more friable.

I regret that I am not able to give a more
diftindive charaderiftic for this ftratum. For
although I am never at a lofs in diilinguiiliing
it from the old red fandftone when I fee it hi
place, I have not feen a fatisfiiclory definition
of it ; neither am I able to fupply one. It al-
ways contains rounded pebbles ; or at leaft
rounded pebbles may be found within a few
feet of any afl'umed point. It is faid that the
old red fandftone fometimes contains rounded
pebbles alfo ; if it does, fuch pebbles are cer-
tainly not common. The breccia is always the

218 BRECCIA.

uppermofl rock ; and, though frequently red
and in fome parts made up of fine grains fo as
to refemble the red fandftone, if it is examined
to the extent of a few yards, the evidences of its
recent formation will become manifefl. On
Catskill Mountain, one mile fouth of the up-
per lake, the breccia has crumbled off at its un-
der fide, fo that a man may pafs between the
breccia and red fandftone about twenty feet in-
to the ledge. Similar appearances to a lefs ex-
tent are very common all the way to Sufque-
hanna river, wherever the breccia caps the high
diffs.

The bones of land animals and other relics
found beneath what I denominate breccia, near
Tappan,* demonftrate this rock to be more re-
cent than the old red fandftone of Catskill
Mountains. But the beft locality within my
knowledge for elucidating this fubjed, is that
which has attracted fome notice at Ketch Mills fix
miles northeafterly from Eaft-Windfor church,
Con, I had examined this range of red fand-
jftone and breccia before the late difcoveryj
but I have fmce taken means to have it re-examia-

• Sec Akerly's Geology of Hiidfon s rlrcr.

BKECCIA. 210

ed with great care. Mr. Henry Newbury, a
gentleman of refpedable fcientific acquirements,
and the Rev. Sylvefter Eaton, made a perfonal
examination of it on the 15th of the prefent
month (April 1820) from whom I received the
following account.

The difcovery of the remains of bones, fup-
pofed to have belonged to a land animal, was
made by workmen while digging a well. They
dug through five feet of alluvial earth, when
they came ^'o a reddifh rock, into which they
penetrated fixteen feet. The rock is made up
of feveral different layers, and the relics are
found in the lowefl one. Some of the layers
are as well charafterized breccia, as any fpeci-
mens in the Lyceum. Others are finer grain-
ed, and appear like red fandftone. Some fpe-
cimens prefent the charaderiflics of breccia on
one fide and of red fandflone on the other. But
rounded pebbles, often as large as a goofe-egg,
may be found more or lefs in all the layers.
That in which the bones are embraced is pretty
fine-grained generally ; but rounded pebbles
are found in all the fragments, now lying about
the well, which contain bones. The workmen
T 2

220 BRECCIA.

who dug the well, fay that the rock was eafify
penetrated, excepting fome of the layers which
were made up of quartz pebbles.

From the above account it is evident, that a
rock which is demonftrated to be of recent for-
mation by its enclofed relics, often prefents ap-
pearances nearly fimilar to the old red fandllone.
But that on a more extended view, the large
rounded pebbles prove it to be breccia.

The proper breccia is interpofed between the
red fandftone and fuperincumbent rocks at
Northampton and Deerfield ; and it would
probably be found beneath every locality of
thefe rocks if we could have accefs to their bas-
es. Wherever the breccia repofes on red fand-
ftone in fteep ledges, the diftindion between
the flrata is as flriking as between the former
and bafalt. ♦,

Several aggregates are denominated breccia,
which have no connexion with this flratum.
Calcareous breccia, the nagelfluh of Werner, h
tronneded with the compa6l limeftone in our
diftridt. There is one locality two miles fouth
of the city of Hudfon adjoining the weft fide

IiRlXCL^. Ssjl

of South Bay road, and another two or three
miles northweft from a place in Chatham, Co-
lumbia county, called Federal Store. In Ulfter
county the quartzofe breccia is manufactured
into millftones. Mr. Olmfted, a ftudent in
Yale College, prefented to the Troy Lyceum a
beautiful fpecimen of agate breccia or filicious
breccia, which he found two miles weft of New-
Haven. It confifts of femi-opal and chalcedo-
ny. The nagelfluh or calcareous breccia,
which has been applied in building the Capitol
of the United States, is well known. But all
thefe fhould rather be denominated breccioids
than breccia ; as they have no connexion with
the ftratum.

2X3 COMPACT LIMESTONE

STRATUxM 12.
C03IPJCT LIMESTONE

I BELIEVE there has never been even a
fragment of compaft Hmeftone difcovered in
any of the New-England States, excepting along
the ihores of Lake Champlain in the weft mar-
gin of Vermont. It forms the bafis rock, how-
ever, of more than half the territory of the
United States.

In our diftricl, and probably in every part
of North America where it occurs, it is evident-
ly made up of organic remains ; chiefly of bi-
valve fhells. A little aluminous and filicious
earth is frequently combined with it. It is a
remarkable fadl that much the largeft propor-

• Is not this the I.iab Stratum of Europeans ? See Recs' Cy-
clopedia, Vol. 41, Part 2, word Geology,

COMTACT LIMESTONE. 2.>3

tion of this vaft ftratum is compofed of two
fpecies of Ihell — the anomite and pectinite. In
this eftimate I follow the arrangement of Linne-
us, Martin and others, who confider the tere-
bratuHie and gryphite as fub-fpecies. I think I
may fay with confidence, that the remains of
two GENERA of animals, Anomia and Pecten^
form at the leaft: two thirds of all the fecondary
lime rocks in North America. It may be deem-
ed arrogant to include all the territory of this
vaft continent. But it has been my good for-
tune to fee fpecimens of this rock from Canada
to Mexico, and from Hudfon's river to the Mis-
fifippi, taken from numerous localities. Per-
haps I ought not, however, from thefe exami-
nations to infer, that there may not be com-
pa£l limeftone of great extent made up of dif-
ferent organic remains, wefl of Rocky Moun-
tain,

In our diftri£t it always refts upon red fand-
flone or breccia, when thefe flrata are not want-
ing. If thefe latter flrata are wanting, the com-
pact limeftone refls on graywacke. Mr. School-
craft always found it overlaying fandftone iu

224 COMPACT LIMESTONE.

MiiTourl.* Dr. E. Jarxies found it reftlng upon
breccia near Ticonderoga. In the Heldeberg it
invariably lies immediately upon fandy gray-
wacke ; and there is no red fandflione nor brec-
cia prefent.

The order of the formations is very well il-
luftrated by the fituation of this lime rock in
the graywacke region, between MaiTachufetts
and Sufquehanna river. For though it is fre-
quently found thoufands of feet lower than the
tops of the mountains of graywacke, it is never
under it. But it uniformly retains its fuperior
geological pofition, from the lofty clifts to the
lowefl: valleys.

About two miles eafl of Hudfon city is a
field of compadl limeflone four or five miles in
length and about a mile in breadth. It is com-
pletely infulated, and reds upon an infulated
hill of graywacke. For the graywacke is dis-
joined from the ftratum to which it belongs,
and lies upon argillite. Some part of this lime

• See his view of MKTouri mines, pages 199 and 228. The
fandftone, not red, which lie obferved, is probably an upper lay-
er of graywacke, orgrsywackc pafTing into landftonc, fiinilar tt
tk'it in the Hclilcbcrg, Catskill Mountains, &c.

COMPACT UMESTONE. 22J

hill is fufficiently compaft for marble. Col.
Darling of Hudfon has wrought fome of it into
moft elegant chimney-pieces. The variegated
hues, arifing from the colouring matter of the
various organized fubftances Iliil remaining,
have a beautiful effecl. The poliih, given by
the artift, tends to prefent the organic remains
more clearly to view. I faw the moft perfect
forms of the anthocephalite (caryophillite) and
encrinite, I had ever feen, in one of thefe polifh-
cd flabs.

Northweft of Catskill village, along the Sus-
quehanna turnpike, is another large field of
fhell limeftone on graywacke j and from two to
three miles weft of the village is another on the
Little Delaware turnpike. Perhaps it would
be more proper to fay, that the range of com-
paft limeftone, which croiTes Glen's Falls in
Saratoga county, continues down along the top
of the graywacke ridge through the weft part
of Schenectady county, the Heldeberg, RenlTe-
laerville, Coeymans, Greenville, Hudfon, Cats-
kill, Kingfton, Marlborough, &c. It is
not a continuous ftratum now however. It is
rather a range of infulated fields capping the
hills of graywacke.

226 COMPACT LIMESTONE.

It Is generally compofed of a pretty loofe
aggregate of bivalve (hells ; though in many
places it is fufficiently compaft to be wrought as
murble. At Coeymans it has been wrought as
well as at Hutlion. A few miles below Albany
a quarry has lately been opened, which promis-
es muc! ufefulnefs.* In truth it may almoft
always be wrought at the depth of a few feet,
where the iliells have been pretty thoroughly
difintegrated.

Although this ftratum is more continuous in
the weftern part of the ftate of New-York and
in ail the weftern dates than in the vicinity of
Hudfon's river, it is often interrupted by creeks
and valleys in thofe regions. Wherever it is
cut through, either the red fandltone, breccia,
fandy or brittle flaty graywacke, invariably ap-
pears.!

• Dr. T. R. Beck.

f Extrati from Mr. Henry R. Schoolcraft's communication,
which was read before the Troy Lyceum.

" I confider the prtfcnt clafliiication of fccondary and alluvial
formations as the mofV dc-fertivc and iinlcttlcd part of gcoloijical
I'ciencc ; and coufcfs myfclf unable to furnilli niauy fai5l$ on the
fubjcft.

COMPACT LI5IEST0NE. 227

The proper country for the ftudy of this ftra-
tum is the graywacke region between the Hud-

" Our theories fliould be the rcfult of obfcrvation, and facl»
iLould never be diftorted by theory. I liavc endeavored to ad-
here rigidly to this principle in ail my rcfcarchea. In my tour
through the valley of the MilTiQppi I collcdlcd fomc fidls witli
a view to a geological map of that country ; but I havcfaid little
upon the fubjedl, wifliing for mor« time for ebfervation and rc-
fledlion. •

" I faw nagypfum in MilTouri or Arkanfaw in fitu. The vaft
bodies of felcnite, (cryftallized gypfum) reported to cxift near the
Grand Saline, on the Arkanfaw, I mentioned ou the authority
of Mr. Sibley, of St. Louis. He made a pcrfonal examination,
and brought away fevcral btautiful fpecimens. He gave no par-
ticulars refpeifling its geological fituation, which are fufficiently
precife to be of any fervice in a fcieutific point of view. In Il-
linois I faw fmall quantities of cryflallized gypfum, refting in de-
tached flakes upon ficondary limedone, and alfo forming fmalt
!aycrs in it.

" A fandflonc ftratutn is very txtcnfive in the valUy of the Mis-
fillppi. Jt is fomctinui mixed with calcareous particl-js fufficicnt
to exhibit a flight cfTcrvtfctuce with muriatic acid. [Sec note to
page 134-] It is the bafis on which the fccondary limeftone of
Oliio, Indiana, Illinois, MilTouri, part of Kentucky, Tenneflee, and
Arkanfaw, rcfls. It is the lower rock which is fonictimes fcci»
.; few feet above, and fometimes a few feet below, the water on
•-he banks of the Ohio, MifTifippi, Arkanfaw, White river, St.
Irancis, Black river, Gafconade, Merrimack, and other llreams
running into the Miflburi — all of which 1 have particularly ex-
amined.

" Along the banks of the Ouachitt.i, in Arkaufat^' territory, we
aid flatc pervaded by large veins of common quartz rock. I

U

228 COMPACT LIMESTONE.

fon and the Sufquehanna. Here may be found
hundreds of patches and fields of it ; fometimes

have not been far enough towards the territories of New-Mexi-
co to fpeak of the mineral phyfiognomy of that fetflion of country.
Neither have I travelled a fufficient diftance towards the Rocky
Mountains to give an account of its geological chara<Sler, nor
how far its primitive fpurs (if primitive) may reach towards the
eaft and north.

" The fecondary limedonc, which chrftadlcrizcs Weflern Ame-
rica, is fo vaft, fo illimitable, as to weary the patience, if it does
not drain the pockets, of the travelling geologift. It extends far
beyond tiie prefent fettlements, into regions known only to hunt-
ers and favagcs.

" The infulated ridge of granite, which 1 have noticed in Madi^
fon and Wafhington counties, Miflburi.is an objeA of the high-
eft intereft. Surrounded by hundreds, and 1 might fay by thou-
fands, of miles of fecondary rocks, here repofes one of the oldeft
of the primitive rocks — old red granite. The pinnacle of a pri-
meval mountain, nearly fubmergcd by more recent depofites,
now hardened into rocks. Viewed in connexion with the fur-
rounding country, it appears to mc to prefent fome unanfwera»
ble arguments in fupport of that theory which afcribes the for-
mation of the earth chiefly to the agency of water. If the Wcr-
nerians wonid frankly admit the partial agency of fire, no force
of reafoning appears capable of difproving the dodlrines they
teach.

«' From the north of this granitic tratSt extends a range of gra-
nular quartz, maintaining a paralJclifm with tiie Miflifippi for
a\)Oiit 40 miUs. This isoccafionally broken by rivulets, and ter-
minates or difappears near the banks of the river, between St.
Genevieve and Hcrculaneum. A flratum of limeftone, more ci-
tcnfiTc than the granular C[\i3r\7.. tiitbout ctganic >vOTij/n/, extend*
wcfl of it io far as 10 embrace the lead mine* of Potofi."

COMPACT LIMESTONE. -:^:d

capping the higheft mountains, fometirnes in u.
itaie which clearly indicates its having Hidden
down troiii higher elevations, and fometirnes in
boulders and blocks intermixed with alluvion.
Its former existence is often telfitied by fmall
peobles of it intermixed with pebbles of other
fecondary rocks ; and by its ferving as a cement
in the formation of puddingftone. A very per-
fect locality of this kind of puddingilone is prc-
fented in the bank of alluvion at the foutheafl
part of the city of Troy. It \v2is a very impor-
tant fuggeflioii of Bakewell, that every ilratum
mufl; have had its turn of being the uppermofl
of all ftrata. When the compa£l limeflonc
ftratum was uppermoft, there muft have been
much filicious matter in a ftate of folution ; for
it is every where pervaded with the moll per-
fect hornftone. I have feen layers of it more
than 20 feet in length and two inches thick near
Bethlehem caverns, Albany county, fome of
which contain petrifactions. I found feveral
fpecimens at the fame locality, which I depofit"
ed in the Troy Lyceum, containing globular
maffes an inch in diameter of a lighter colour
than the encafmg hornftone. I confider thefe
as nodules of real flint.

23» COMPACT LTMESTONE.

That this ftratum recently formed the bed oi
the ocean is manifeft, from its being chiefly
made up of oceanic relics. But whether the
" mighty waters retired," two, three or four
thoufand years ago, I prefume we ihall never
be able to afcertain from any evidence prefented
by thefe petrifaftions. Dr. Mitchill obferves,
"^ On viewing thefe produ6lions, the mind en-
*^' deavors to fix that unafcertained time, when
" the oceanic watersf)f the primitive globe roll-
'' ed over this region.'*

This is the only cavernous ftratum in North-
America, and probably in the world. A few
caverns have been found in other ftrata ; but
they generally depend on accidental difruptions
or particular difnitegrations. This is the only
flratum whofe very {tru£ture neceflarily renders
it cavernous. When the waters of the ocean
retired, the calcareous cement, which now holds
the fhells together, was in the ftate of a foft
pafle. This may be proved by producing an
artificial folution and proving by experiment,
that it will not harden under water. After the
waters retired, the parts expofed to the fun's
rays began to harden, contra^, and crack intu

COMPACT LIMESTONE. 231

blocks. In fome parts of the Heldeberg thefe
blocks are of great extent ; but I have feen
acresofit where the ftratum is very thin, chequer-
ed up into blocks from two, to ten, feet fquare.
Where the ftratum is very thick and the fiflures
very long, large caverns were frequently formed.
For the upper furface of the ftratum was foon
dried and indurated j while the whole remained
foft a long time a few feet below the furface.
If a ftream of water happened to flow in the vi-
cinity of a fiiTure, it would probably make its
way into it, and foon wafh away the loofe fhells
beneath the furface which were merely envelop-
ed in foft calcareous pafte,

I have examined four of the largeft caverns
in the Heldeberg, and they all ftill exhibit con-
clufive evidence of their having been once in
the ftate of mere filfures ; and ftreams of water
ftill traverfe them all. The largeft of thefe ca-
verns is the great cave at Bethlehem, twelve
miles fouthweft from Albany. This is a few
feet more than the fourth of a mile in length.*
Throughout its whole extent we can trace the

• It was accurately tneafurcd by my brother, Rev. Sylvcflcr
Eaton.

U 2

'32 COMPACT LlMEbTONE.

fiflure overhead ; though the edges of the rocks'
above have pitched in againft each other fo a^
to clofe it.

The vafl caverns of Kentucky containing ni-
trate of potafli and nitrate of lime, defcribed by
Dr. Samuel Brown, of Alabama, and Mr. W.
B. Stilfon, are in the fame ftratum. Alfo thofe
of TennelTee defcribed by the Rev. E. Cornelius
and by Mr. J. H. Kain. Mr. M'Conihe found
many vafl caverns and fubterranean avenues in
Indiana, all in the compact fhell limeflone. But
there are no caverns in what is called the water-
limeftone, which on being made into a pafte
hardens under water. This fubflance will be
defcribed under fecondarv fandftone.

Mr. M'Conihe difcovered an extenfive layer
of the true white lithographic flone in connexion
with the compact limeflone in Indiana. He
has dcpofited fmall fpecimens in the Troy Ly-
ceum, precifely refembling that which Dr.
Samuel Brown confiders as the mofl perfed
variety.*

" Dr. Drown fuowcd me a fpccimcn of the Aoue, with fpeci-
mens of Mr. Otis' beautiful litliographic drawings. He woiilJ
iiad abnndnnt natcrials for this ufe in Indiana.

COMPACT LLVIESTONE. 2J3-

It has long been a fubjedl of general remark,
that no chalk is to be found in North America.
But Mr. Schoolcraft found it in abundance along
the banks of the Miffifippi, between the mouths
of the Ohio and Miffouri. It is in connexion
with compad limeflone, and contains flint
nodules.*

The concentric globes of carbonate of limcj
conftituting a part of the rock of Gibraltar, are
well known. Dr. Steel prefented to the Troy
Lyceum hemifpheres of fimilar conformations,
which he found near Saratoga Springs. They
are three and four inches in diameter ; but
coarfe-grained, grey, and not variegated like
thofe from Gibraltar.!

Coal is found in connexion with compad fhell
limeflone in the weftern part of the Itate of New-
York. Mr. C. At water found it in the fame
connexion in the ftate of Ohio. Mr. David
Thomas obferved it in many localities in the

• See Schoolcraft's View of Miffouri Mines, pages i8o aod
227.

f Thefe mafTes or nodules fccm to belong to CleaTcland's fub-

fpecicS} CONCRCTEO CARBONATE OF LIME.

234 COMPACT LIMESTONE.

Weftern States — always in connexion witli the
fhell limeftone. The flate which he faw in con-
nexion with it was unquefliionably the bitumi-
nous fhale, which generally overlays coal.

This ftratumisnot metalUferous. Mr. School-
craft found jafper in it in Miflburi, and nitrate
of potafh cryflallized in crevices along extenfive
rocks.* Very few imbedded or diifeminated
minerals, however, are found in it ; excepting
the various forms of calcareous cryftals, and
rarely a little fulphate of lime.

Before I difmifs this flratum, I will extra^V,
from the tranfadions of the Troy Lyceum, an
article refpedling the difcovery of fulphate of
ftrontian. *' Mr. William A. Bird, the fur-
veyor who accompanied Gen. P. B. Porter in
running the boundary line between the United
States and Canada, has returned with many in-
terefting fads and fpecimens colledled about the
head of St. Lawrence and the Lakes Ontario
and Erie. He difcovered, in company with
Capt. Douglas of Weft-Point, a new locality of
a mineral, which, by the experiments of Mr.

* See pages 2o6 and )o8, View of MifTouri Mines.

COMPACT LIMESTONE. 2S5

Amos Eaton, performed before the Lyceum,
proves to be cryftallized fulphate of ftrontian.

" As feveral minerals have been taken for
fulphate of ftrontian, which were afterwards
found to be barytes ; and as it is doubted whe-
ther there is any fuch mineral in North Ameri-
ca, it may be proper to give Mr. Eaton's tefts
and experiments. He fufed it and exhibited
the purple flame before the blow-pipe. The
melted globule gave a four tafte ; though after
four hours it fell to powder and gave the tafte
of lulphuretted hydrogen. He formed a mu-
riate oi it, which gave a blood-red flame, both
in a dry powder and diifolved in alcohol, when
applied to a candle wick. Its fpecific gravity
appears to vary from 3.79 to 3.96, by repeated
trials made by Drs. Wells and Hale ; but moft
of the fpecimens gave 3.85. It is the foliated
variety, always tranflucent and often tranipa-
rent. Colour hyaline, often ftiaded with blue.
Luftre ftrong and frequently iridefcent. The
cryftals are moftly tabular with many oblique
re-entering angles, prefenting a ftriated appear-
ance. Some cryftals are rhomboidal prifms
with two oppofite truncated angles. This mi'

236 COMPACT LIMESTONE.

neral is found in compacl, and fhell limeftone,
on Mofs Ifland, in Lake Erie, two miles weft
of Put-in-Bay."

Dr. John Torrey of New- York, has fince
analyzed this mineral and produced the fame
refults, with feveral additional ones j demon-
ftrating it to be cryftallized fulphate of ftron-
tian. This is the only locality of cryftallized
fulphate of ftrontian difcovered in North Ameri-
ca. It is doubtful whether any variety of this
mineral has been difcovered before in this
country ; though feveral localities have been
publicly announced.

GYPSUM. 231

STRATUM 13
GYPSUM,

IT 18 the opinion of many geologlfts, wh©
have carefully fludied our weftern rocks, that
gypfum ought rather to be confidered as form-
ing beds in compaft limeftone, than as confli-
tuting a ftratum. My knowledge on this fub-
jeft is too limited to authorize an opinion. I
fhall therefore follow thofe, who treat it as a
ftratum.*

» Extradl from a paper read before the Troy Lyceum by Ifaac
M'Conihe.Efq.

" My route was nearly through the centre of the population
of Indiana, though far fouth of the centre of the territory. It is
the general undcrftanding in the eaftern ftates, that all the weft-
ern part of the United States it of an even furface. Such at Icaft
was my imprffTion, when I fet out to journey to the weft. Such
is very generally the lad throughout much of the vaft Talley of

GYPSUM.

The gypfum of our difhrid is remarkable foi
its dark brown and black cryftals, or black fe

the Mflifippi. But the part of Indiana through which I travel-
led is as hilly as fome parts of New-England, though the hills
have moftly rounded fummits, and are denominated knobs by the
inhabitants.

" This is evidently a fecondary country ; though tranfition
rocks often appear. In fadt, evidences occur at irregular inter-
vals, fufficient to lead the mind to the conclufion, that the whole
country is underlaid at no great depth, with a continuation of
the tranlition rocks which predominate in the vicinity of Hud-
son's river in the flatc of New-York. I found one locality of
well charafterized argillite at the bottom of a creek. This was
among that rawge of hills, which commences at New-Albany,
about six miles from the Ohio, and continues fifty or Gity miles.
Along the eaftern edge of this range of hills, the red fandflone
prevails, often of that hard Haty variety, comoion in Catskill
Mountains. Detached mafles of graywackc frequently occur l>erc
alfo. Whenever thefe tranfition rocks appear, the circumftances
attending them and their geological connexions clearly indicate
that they are left in view, by the difintegration of the fecondary
rocks, which had once ovcrlayed them.

" Vaft horizontal layers of fecondary limeftonc are extended
over mofl of this Hate, which abound in organic relics. Thefe
relics are mofl, abundant, however, in fome particular localities.
In what Is called the Barrens of Wafhington county, MaJreporitts
of the horn-fliaped variety appear in thoufands. Pectinitet, Ah^
mites and TerehratuliUs arc found in every place, where there is
compadt limcflone.

" About fifty miles from the Falls of the Ohio there is a lo-
cality of remarkably compatSt, fine-grained, variegated iimaUonc

lenite. Carbonate of lime is frequently blended
with it, even in its moft extenfive localities ; fo
that it often effervefces with acids.

It 43 remarkable that, though the brovvnifii
grey gypfum of Nova-Scotia gives a white
flreak, the fame coloured gypfum of the flate of
New-York gives a grey ftrcak. This faft was
firfl noticed by plafter grinders. They obferv-
ed that the fame coloured gypfum, which, if

Alternating witli its layers I found large quantities of the true
white lithographic ftone ; now becoming a very important mine-
ral, ftnce Dr. Samuel Brown, of Alabama, introduced the litho-
graphic art into this country, I have dcpofited fmall fpccimens
of it in the Troy Lyceum.

" Near this place workmen were engaged in dij;ging a well. 1
took fpecimens from the fragments of two rocks, which fccmed
to be in place about thirty and thirty-five feet below the furfacc,
and merely noted down their relative pofitions and locality. On
examining them (incc, I find the lower rock to be ^/pium, over-
laid with fecoDdary calcareous fandnone.

" Tlielimc rocks of thit ftatcare remarkably c|Vernous. There
are feveril pretty large flreams of water, which difappear for
miles tlirough the vaft fiflures and cavities in thefc rocks. There
is one, whofc return to open day has not yet been difcovered.

•• In the alluvion I found well charatSterized fragments of agate.
AUo tl'.alrcdony, semi-opal and fine (inoplc jafpcr."
W

240 GYPSUM.

from Nova-Scotia gave a white flour, would
give aflies-coloured flour if it was obtained from
the wefl:.

Gypfum is very abundant in the counties of
Madifon and Onondaga, New- York ; particu-
larly in the towns of Sullivan, Manlius and
Camillus. Mr. D. H. Chapman prefented
fibrous gypfum of the mofl: beautiful kind,
which he obtained at Manhus. The fibres are
four inches in length, a little curved, of a pearly
white colour, and of much firmer texture than
the fpecimens from Nova-Scotia.

I have not been informed of the difcovery of
any organized remains in the gypsum of the
weft ; though it is overlayed with, and is re-
pofed upon, ftrata v.hich abound in them.

Sulphate of lime is frequently found attached
to other rocks in fmall fpecimens. Thefe ought
to be called fulphate of lime merely, not gyp-
fum ; becaufe the latter name is calculated to
excite falfe expectations. Wherever the foft
granular variety of iron pyrites is difleminated
in carbonate of lime, the pyrites becomes de-

6YPSUM. 24i

eompofed on expofure and fulphate of iron it,
produced. Whenever the latter fubflance Is
waflied down on the furface or in the fifl'ures of
carbonate of lime, the carbonate is decompofed
and the fulphate is produced. Dr. Mitchill
obferved this procefs going on at Niagara Falls.
I found a graywacke ledge faced with this for-
mation of fulphate of lime in Blenheim on the
wefl bank of the Schoharie.

I have never been informed of any anhydrous
gypfum in our diflrici:. Neither have I feen
any fufficiently white and €ompa6l to form
alabafler.

It appears from the obfervations of M'Clure,
Mitchill, Mr. Caleb Atwater and others, that
rock-falt accompanies the gypfum along the
great range which extends from Onondaga
lake to the flate of Tenneflee. M'Clure ob-
ferved the fame connexion in Poland, Eu-
rope.

Since I wrote the above, I received a letter
from Auftin Abbott, Efq. the Correfponding
Secretary of the Hudfon Scientific AfTociation,

U^Z GYPSUM.

afluring me, on the authority of Waher
Patterfon, Efq. that patches of gypfum are
fometimes found on the compaft limeftone
ridges near Ancram furnacej in Columbia
roimt}-.

SECONDARY SANDSTONE. 243

STRATUM 14.
SECONDARY SANDSTONE.

I REGRET that it is not in my power to
prefent the reader with many fa6ls, relating to
this ftratum, which have fallen under my oww ob-
lervation. I have received no evidence of its
exiflence eafl: of the river Hudfon ; though it ap-
pears to be of great extent to the weft.

This ftratum had never been defcribed to
me, neither had I feen a fpecimen in any cabi-
net, when I vifited a locality of it on the Hel-
deberg, in company with the Prefident of the
Troy Lyceum and Dr. T. R. Beck. We were
perfedly at a lofs in labelling our fpecimens
taken from this rock ; neither did we then fet-
tle its geological pofition. After two more vi-
fits in company with feveral members of the

W 2

244 . SECONDARY SANDSTONiE.

Lyceum, and after attentively reading Bakewell's
defcription of feveral varieties of fecondary fand-
ftone, as well as thofe of other European geoloa
gifts, we ventured to denominate it Seconda-
ry Sandftone.

It is chiefly filicious and very fine grained ;
rarely containing carbonate of lime fufficient to
effervefce with acids. It is grey, yellowifh oi
brownifh. The beft locality in the Heldeberg
is a little eaft of Pucker-Street j where the rock
is divided by open fiflures or feams into pretty
regular blocks. Thefe fiflures appear like ar-
tificial cuts ; and the blocks prefent faces al-
moft as fmooth as if wrought by the chilTel,
This rock abounds in organic remains, appa-
rently of more recent formation than thofe in
compact limeflone. Culmiferous petrifadions
frequently occur, and the animal remains are
often eafily feparated from the rock in a very
perfed ftate.

It refts upon compaft limeftone generally.
I found one locality however, where the lime-
ftone was wanting for feveral feet ; and here it
lay immediately on the fandy graywacke, which
underlays the limeftone. The floor of a caverii

SECONDARY SANDSTONE. 24&

two miles north of Pucker-Street is graywacke,
the walls are compad liineftone, and the cover-
ing is fecondary fandftone abounding iwfavofttes
and encr'mites.

From the obfervations of geologifts, who
have travelled in the weftern country, I am in-
clined to confider the fecondary fandftone of
the Heldeberg as the loweft layer of this ftratum,
which may have been once covered with feve-
ral others. And I am inclined to believe, that
future obfervations will demand a fubdivifion
of this ftratum into three or four. It is proba-
ble that at leaft one of thefe fubdivifions ought
not to be called fandftone. But I prefer treat-
ing them as fubordinates or varieties, to running
the risk of creating untenable fubdivifions.

I am indebted to my friend and clafs-mate,
Myron Hollcy, Efq, Canal Commiffioner, for
the moft important facts refpedling this ftratum.
In confequence of the enquiry, which the Hel-
deberg locality and fome fpecimens brought to
i\lbany by Mr. Holley in the winter of 1819,
had excited, he ftudied this ftratum attentively,
while engaged in his official duties along the
great VVeftern Canal. He obferved it all the
way from near the eait bounds of Madifon coun-

24G SECONDARY SANDSTONE.

ty to the weft bounds of Niagara, a diftance of
almoft two hundred miles. It generally refts
upon fhell limeflone, where its fupporting ftra-
tum is in view. Wherever the gypfum occurs,
it invanably lies beneath this flratum. He re-
fers more particularly to the gypfum beds in the
towns of Sullivan and Manlius. He prefented
fpecimens to the Troy Lyceum, which are fimi-
lar to thofe which Mr. M'Conihe found over-
laying gypfum in a well in Indiana.

Wherever Mr. Holley obferved the order of
the layers conftituting this ftratum, particularly
where the works on the Canal required that they
fiiould be cut through, they were found as fol-
lows. The uppermoft layer is very coarfe fand-
ftone or gritflone, moflly filicious and abound-
ing in organic relics. The next layer below it
is light grey, and contains confiderable carbo-
nate of lime. The next is bluifh and blue, and
is chiefly carbonate of lime with fome alumine
and a little filex. The lowefl layer is the lua-
icr Jimejionc. This lad is the ftone which har-
dens under water, after being burned, pulveriz-
ed and made into a pafte.* It confifts of car-

• This remarkable propcrt)', hardening under water, was dis-
covered by Canvafs White, Efq. one of the Canal Engineers. He

SECODNARY SANDSTONE. 2-i7

bonate of lime, alumine and filex, with a little
oxyd of iron. In the fpecimens which Mr. H.
prefented to the Troy Lyceum, grains of gyp-
fum are difleminated.

Mr. M'Conihe examined a well twenty-five
feet deep in this ftratum, feventy miles weft of
Vincennes in Illinois, on a rifmg ground, which
prefented the following layers. The uppermoft
was rather coarfe calcareous fandftone. The
next feemed to be a talcofe fanditone, of a flaty
ftrutSlure. The next calcareous fand, in a loofe
ftate. The loweft was almolt wholly filicious
fandftone.

From a comparifon of fpecimens from the
two localities, obferved by Mr. HoUey and Mr.

v/ent to Enghpd to examine thecanils of that country; and par-
ticularly to acquaint himfelf with the EngliHi method of con-
flrudling locks. On his return he brought home fpecimens of
the rock, called /eftarium, which is ufcd for locks on account of
its hardening under water. He thought it refcmbled this variety
of fecondary fandflone ; and on making trial, he found it to be
equally well adapted to this ufe. The benefits refulting from
this difcovcry in conftru(5ting locks and ciflcrns, is incalculable.

Mr. Hadley, Profeflbr of Chemiftry in the Fairfield Medical
Academy, carefully analyzed it, and gave the proportions of a'.!
the conftitucnts.

M& SECONDARY SANDSTONE.

M'Conihe, it appears that the layers are in fome
meafure analogous, but not fimilar. Is not .this
good evidence in proof of Bakewell's theory of
local formations ? It certainly accords with his
inference, that " there might be great fimilarity
in fome fituations,and much diverfity in others."

IV. SUPERINCUMBENT CLASS

STRATUM 15.
BASALT.

WHEREVER I have had accefs to the ba-
lls of a greenftone trap rock in place, I found
it refted on a fine-grained variety, quite as fine
as any fpecimens of European bafalt. It is ge-
nerally porous ; being of that variety called
amygdaloid, or toadflone. But fpecimens may
be obtained feveral feet in extent, perfedly
compad, witljout a pore.

This ffratum is not only very different from
the common green (lone trap in its texture ;
but its meeting -with, the greenflone is always

250 BASALT.

confpicuous. The two ftrata do not pafs into
each other by imperceptible gradations, nor al-
ternate like fome other ftrata. The weft fide
of Mount Holyoke on Connecticut river, and
the weft fide of Deerfield hill eaft of the acade-
my, are good localities. Alfo moft of the ridge
of rocks which extends along the northweft fide
of Salftonftall's pond in Eaft-Haven, four or
five miles eaft from New-Haven.

In Deerfield there are bafaltic columns of a
polyhedral form ; in all refpedls refembling the
joint of a bafaltic column in Gibbs* cabinet
from Giant's caufeway, and of quite as compaft
a texture. Thefe columns were firft obferved
by Mr. Hitchcock. But were I to difpofe of
thefe rocks according to my own views of this
fubjeft, I would place thefe columns as well as
thofe of Giant's caufeway with the greenftone
trap ; and make a diftincl ftratum confifting of
the fine grained bafalt, including the amygda-
loid. For thefe two varieties often compofe
the fame Individual rock, and are much finer
grained than the columns from Ireland. I
have a fpeciraen of bafalt from Scotland, pre-

BASALT. 205

cifely refembling the fine bafalt of Mount Holy-
oke, which underlays the greenftone columns.

The bafalt of our diftrlcl is remarkable foi'
the numerous "fmall minerals embraced in it.
In Deerfield Mr. Hitchcock conduced me to a
locality of this rock which contains prelmite,
zeolite, chalcedony, agate, fardonyx, analcime,
chabafie, ftilbite, amathy ftine and lamellar quartz,
and calcareous fpar. Many of thefe minerals
have been found at Mount Holyoke and Sal-
flonftaH's pond. Mr. Pierce found prehnite,
zeolite and flilbite in this rock in New-Jerfey.

I found fpecimens of this rock a little north of
the greenftone columns in Mt. Holyoke, which
refemble blackfmiths' cinders. Tlie variety
called amygdaloid is remarkably cellular ; and
the cells appear like thofe in light bakers* dough.
Bakewell confiders this peculiar ftruclure as
evidence of its having been fufed and cooled
under water, probably under the fea. " Thefe
beds of bafalt," he fays, " were formed under
the fea by the ejedion of lava, which flowing
over the moift fubmarine ground, would confine
a portion of water beneath the melted mafs,

X

252 BASALT.

This water would be converted into elaflic va-
por, or fteam, which would endeavor to expand.
But where the fuperincumbent preflure prevent-
ed its efcape, it would form cavities." He fup-
pofes the fame eruption might form the cellular
amygdaloid and compact bafalt ; as it would
naturally be cellular below and compact above.*

* Sec BakeweU's Introdudlion to Geology, pages 141 and 142

GREENSTONE TRAl'. 253

STRATUM 16.
GREENSTONE TRAP,

IN our diftrift this rock appears as if pilcil
upon other ftrata artificially. And Dr. J. W.
Weblter reprefents the greenftone about Edin-
burgh as prefeating a fiinilar appearance.*
Travellers frequently compare them to the ru-
ins of ancient caftles.

There is a range of greenftone hills extend-
ing from New-Haven, Con. through the welt
parilh of Hartford, through Northampton and
Deerfield, to Greenfield ; a diflance of about
one hundred miles. The three eminences ar-
ranged about New-Haven, denominated Eafl
Rock, Pine Rock and Weft Rock, belong to
this range. The monument, or obfervatory,

• See his sketch in the Am. Jour, of Sci. p. 231.

io4 GREENSTONE TRAP.

weft of Hartford is built upon a greenftone hili
belonging to this range. Mount Holyoke and
Mount Tom, near Northampton, are infulated
fields of the fame broken chain.

The range of this rock, which has excited
the mofl attention, is that called the Palifadoes.
It commences below the Highlands on the weft
fhore of the river Hudfon, and extends along,
forming its weftern bank, with but one interrup-
tion, for thirty-eight miles. Oppofite to the
city of New- York it winds away wefterly,
acrofs the ft ate of New-Jerfey to the diftance of
eighty miles.*" The fublime emotions excited
by the grandeur of thefe ftupendous columns
are familiar to the many thoufands who have
failed up the Hudfon.

In various parts of the greenftone trap of our
diftrid:, we find very perfe£l polyhedral co-
lumns ; and almoft every where a polyhedral
or rhomboidal tendency. The fouthweft fide
of Mount Holyoke prefents a colonnade of the
moft perfeft polyhedral pillars ; imitating the
niceft works of art. Joints of the columns are

* Sec Dr. Akcrly's Geology of Hudfon river, panes 27 — 31 .

GREENSTONE TKAP. 255

broken out in fome places, fo that the upper
ones prefent their convex bafes, refembling the
bottoms of large potafli kettles ; while the con-
cave joints below will contain feveral gallons of
water. The rock is remarkably fiflile in every
part of this mountain. When a joint of thefe
columns falls, it is fhivered into a thoufand
pieces.

The columns of Weft Rock, New-Haven,
are not fo regular in form ; but they are not k->
iiffile. Befides, they break more readily into
blocks fuited for building-done. Moft of the
walls in New-Haven are built of this rock.

The greenftone trap of our diftricl generally
refts upon red fandftone or red breccia. But
there is a place at the fouthweft end of Mount
Holyoke, where it feems to fink down into a
rent or fiifure in the red fandftone, palling un-
der Connecticut river. There is a fi mil ar ap-
pearance at Deerfield river, juft above its mouth,
where it empties into the Connedicut.

A Scotch gentleman,* who has attended
Jamefon's ledures in Edinburgh, on examining

* Dr. M'Naughton of Albany.
X 2

ilbd GREENSTONE TRAP.

my fpecimens from Mount Holyoke, pronounc-
es them the true ivhinjione of Scotland. This
rock affords but few diffeminated mhierals.
The fiflfures are fometimes faced with carbonate
of lime, and rarely with zeolite. Mr. Silli-
man found confiderable of the latter mineral in
horizontal veins in Pine Rock. And I found
confiderable dark brown augite in the fame
locality. Mr. Silliman fays, that moft green-
ifone, if heated and pulverized, will form a wa-
ter-proof mortar.*

Are bafalt and greenflone trap of volcanic
origin ? ' This feems to be a fubjecl of very ge-
neral difcuflion among modern geologifts,
Bakewell fays, " I am inclined to think that
" the part of Dr. Hutton's theory, which re-
" lates to the igneous origin of bafaltic rocks,
"' is as well eflabhfhed as the nature of the fub-
" jecl will admit of; other parts of the fyftem
" are much lefs fatisfadory.f

* See his note to the I42d page of Brucc's Journal.
' Page I u.

V. ALLUVIAL CLASS

STRATUM 17.
GEEST.

THIS is the moft univerfal of all ftrata.
Every inch of dry land, which is neither naked
rock nor covered with alluvion, is ftrewed over
with geeft. Its character is generally indicated
by the rock upon which it lies, and by thofe
which have recently difappeared.*

• ExtracSt from an efiay which I wrote for the Journal of the
Board of Agriculture, poblifhed at Albanj, page j8.

"The principal difintegrating agents are water and change of
temperature. In all rocks we find natural cleavage*. Rains and
melting fnows fill thefc cleavages with water ; which, on frcezing»
extends its volume, and thereby fubdivides the mafs of rock into
fmall portions. More furfacc being thereafter prefcnted to the

258 GEEST.

That part of our fedion, which is included
between the weft; boundary Hne of Maflachu-
fetts and the Atlantic, is principally covered
with filicious geeft, made up of fragments and

fame atflion of the fame agents, thefe fmall portions are flill fur«
ther fubdivided, until a fine arable foil is formed.

" There is a great difference in rocks in their adaptation to the
a(Slion of thefe agents. A rock of granular quartz, for examplci
has but very imperfe<5t natural cleavages. Confequently but
little water can gain admittance. BeGdes, the hardnefs of the
rock will long refift the expanfive force of the freezing water-
Whereas the common argillaceous flate contains an immenfe num-
ber of fiffures or cleavages, and the texture is foft and yielding.
Confeqnently foils are formed with great rapidity in flaty diftricts.
As fadls are preferable to any thing, however plaufible, I will re-
fer your readers to a few examples. Such examples mufl neces-
ferily be local: your readers will therefore cxcufe me for refer-
ring them to a locality where I am perfetfUy familiar with the
fa<5ts.

" That part of the town of Chatham, in Columbia county,
called the parifli of New-Concord, has argillaceous flate for its
bails rock. In this parifli there are many fields traverfed by
ridges of flate rock, which were not covered with a fufBcicnt
coat of foil for cultivation a few years ago, but arc now plough-
ed and cultivated like other parts of the fields. That thofe, who
are curious to witncfs the mofl conclufive evidence of the rapid
formation of foils from the difiutcgratiou of rocks, may not be
fubjetfl to the labor of much enquiry or rcfcarch, I will point
them to a dilliniTt locality. On the farm, now owned by Judge
Pattcrfon.aud formerly by Capt. Abel Eaton, on the Union turn-
pike road, about fifteen miles from the city of Hudfon, is the lo.
cality to which J allude. The highcft ridge in a field on the

GEEST. 239

pulverized portions of primitive rocks. The
narrow valley of Connecticut river is alluvion,
and there are a few other very limited locali-
ties. Along the granular limeftone valleys

caft Gde of the road, htiiig about one hundred and twenty rods
northtaflcrly from the dwelling houfe, W33 one entire bare fljtc
M)ck, about thirty years ago. This fact I wtll remember : but
I will refer the reader to Mr. Holea Birge, who nill rtfides m.ar
the place for a confirmation of the fadt. Now moft of this fame
ridge is good arable land. That the prefcnt coat of foil could
not have waOicd down from the hills above, is evident from the
pofition of the ridge. For the ground between the ridge and
tl:e hill above is much the lowcfl. Confcqucntly the earthy foil
covering this ridge of rock mufl have been wholly formed by the
difintcgration of the rock, within thirty years.

" May we not fafely infer that the earthy part of foils is perpe-
tually undergoing changes in refpcct to quality and depth in
fome diftridts of country ? For example, the rock overlaying the
flatc in the before mentioned parifh, was graywacke. This is evi-
dent, not only from a confideration of the geological ferits of
rocks, but irom the fadt, that fome of the higheft hills are Aill
capped with graywacke. As graywacke is chiefly compofed of
grains of quartz, cemented toj>cther by a little aluniinc, foils
formed of this rock mud be too fandy and loofe. May we not
therefore prefume, that many hundred years ago, the foil of that
parifli was more loofcand fandy than at prefcnt, and confcqucnt-
ly lefs productive ? But fmce the j-.raywacke rock has chiefly
pafled away, and perhaps moflly gone down the Hudfon to form
the Iflands and flioals at its mouth: and fmce the flate rock has
become expofcd to the difintegrating agents, and commenced the
operation of adding its fubftancc to the graywacke foil, the earthv
foil of this di Uriel is greatly improved.

260 GEKST.

through Pittsfield and Dalton, there is con-
fiderable calcareous and filicious geefl and fome
alluvion.

Between the weft bounds of Maflachufetts
and the river Hudfon, the foil is chiefly argil-
laceous and filicious geelt, compofed of argil-
lite and graywacke. Between the Hudfon and
Sufquehanna rivers, along our fedion, it is
more filicious, though a parallel feftion might
be drawn about fifty miles north, which would
pafs through a country of alluvion alternating
with calcareous and argillaceous geefl. In our
fedion, however, there are many patches of ar-
gillaceous geefl, formed of the argillaceous lay-
ers of graywacke. There are alfo many patches
of deep alluvion.

" In the eaftern parts of Columbia county the flate rock has
pafled away and left the granular limcnone, which is the next
flratum beneath it, bare. Near what is called Canaan Corner,
is a manifefl locality. Confcqucntly, the difintenrating agents
have commenced their attack upon it, and will greatly improve
the neighbouring foil by the addition of carbonate of lime. la
the wedern part of the fame county, the upper, or fecondary,
flratum of limeflone flill remains above the graywacke. Confc-
qucntly the foil is daily improved in that dirtrk't bv the moul-
dering down of that rock."

GEEST. sex

On a general view of our diflrict, we may
confiderthe New-England ftates and the north,
eaft, and foutheaft, part of the (late of New-
York, as the proper territory of geeft. This
portion of our diftridt, however, embraces feve-
ral hundred fquare miles of alluvion. Particu-
larly along the banks of the great rivers, near
the fhores of the fea and on the iflands.

Though this ftratum is generally made up of
the difmtegrated fragments of the neareft rocks,
fome of its conftituents appear, in many locali-
ties, to have been tranfported from a confider-
able diftance. More efpecially where it is fitu-
ated near the bafe of a high mountain. There
may alfo have been confiderable commixture
between the geeft of different parts of level tra£ls,
before the fubfidence of the oceanic waters left
it bare. But it generally appears to be very
nearly related to the exiiling bafis rock.

262 ALLUVION.

STRATUM 18.
ALLUVION.

HITHERTO there has been no fubdivifion
of this flratum, founded upon the relative ages
of different layers. Gravel, fand, clay and loam
are faid to compofe this ftratum ; either, or all,
of which may be in any place or of any age.
After I had collefted my materials for this ftra-
tum and arranged them in the ufual way, I re-
ceived a letter from Mr. Henry R. Schoolcraft
which fet me upon a new courfe of enquiry.
He propofes to fubdivide this ftratum according
to the relative ages of the different kinds, and
alTigns diftindive charafteriftics for each kind.
It would be very gratifying to me to publifh his
letter ; but it was written in hafte at the laft
moment of his departure on the Northweftern

ALLUVION. - 2tJp

expedition with Gov. Cafs, and in a familiar
flyle which evinces that he did not expect me
to take that liberty.

After applying his fuggeftions to all the fads
within my knowledge, I am inclined to confider
the three-fold divifion, which he propofes rs
hardly tenable. I fhall attempt a two-fold di-
vifion, upon this plan, leaving all further im-
provement to be made by Mr. S. after his re-
turn, when his ftock of materials will be fully
adequate to the object.

Primary Alluvion.

This is that kind of alluvion, which appears
to have been formed when the earth, or at leafl
that portion of it in the vicinity of fuch alluvi-
on, was deftitute of vegetables. Confequently
there are no trunks of trees, nor other vegeta-
ble remains, embraced in it nor under it. The
alluvion embracing the iron ore beds of Salis-
bury, Con. is a very perfect example. The
banks of alluvion along the eaft fide of this
city (Troy) are alfo primary. Mr. Schoolcraft
confiders the alluvion embracing the lead ore

Y

264 ALLUVlOxN.

of Miflburi as truly primitive. I have feen
ochre in WilHamftown, Mafs. and in Blenheim,
N. Y. in this kind of alluvion ; alfo bog ore in
the latter place, and in the Highlands.

Having examined but few localities fmce this
very interefting fuggeflion reached me, I dare
not venture to name even thofe localities, with
which I am very familiar. Thefe remarks will
be fufficient to induce the reader to make thofe
enquiries, which will materially aid this depart-
ment of the fcience.

Secondary A Uuv ion.

This kind always embraces or covers trunks
of trees, vegetable mould, or fome other re-
mains, vi^hich proves its formation to have taken
place fince the earth's furface has been adorned
with '• an abundant vegetation.'* Such is the
bed of alluvion on which this city, (Troy) is
built. It appears by digging the wells in this
city, that after delcending from fifteen to twen-
ty feet through the coarfe gravel, there are two
or three layers of tough clay. Among this
clay are found great quantities of leaves, trunks
and limbs of trees, kc. There is now in th*^

ALLUVION. . £66

Troy Lyceum a fragment of the pinus canads/i'
[is (hemlock tree) which was interpofed be-
tween two layers of this clay twenty-five feet
below the furface.

Mofl of Long-Ifland and other alluvial local-
ities in the vicinity of New-York are fecondary
alluvion. It appears alfo, that the alluvion
forming all the eaftern portion of the Southern
ftates, is of this kind.

A few miles fouth of Lake Ontario there is ii
large tract of fecondary alluvion, containing ar-
gillaceous oxyd of iron of the lenticular variety.
The alluvion is reddifh and feems to be under-
laid with red fandftone. The ore frequently
contains very perfect, though extremely minute,
volutites. They are perfedt petrifactions, being
wholly compofed of the argillaceous oxyd of
iron, though they are of the fame fpecies as
thofe minute valuta now common in the living
ftate. Excellent iron is manufactured from
this ore ; and the Legiflature of this flate have
granted a loan to Gen. M*Clure and A. Cole,
Efq. to enable them to carry on the manufac-
ture of it to advantage. Thefe gentlemen,
from whom I received this defcription of the al-

'J6i> ALLUVION.

luvion, prefented to the Troy Lyceum fpeci-
mens of the ore with a bar of the wrought iron.
On an analyfis we find that it yields a little
over thirty per cent of pure iron. The Rev.
R. Searle found a fimilar locality of fmall ex-
tent tv/enty-live miles fouth of lake Erie.*

The bones of large animals are frequently
found in the fecondary alluvion ; alfo vaft
quantities of fliells in a perfed ftate of prefer-
vation. Though large bones have been found
near Newburg on Hudfon river, &c. yet they
are more frequent in the alluvion of the Weft-
ern llates.

It is worthy of notice, that trunks of trees,
which have lain for centuries in deep alluvion
in a found ftate, will decay in a very few
months when dug up and expofed. I have
feen a found log, one foot in diameter, totally
rotted into a powder in one year, which had been
thrown up from a confiderable depth by the
roots of a'falling buttonwood (platanus occiden-
talis) of an enormous fize, probably one hun-
dred years old. Similar obfervations are fre-
quently made by well-diggers in alluvial districts

* Scf American Jour. Silence, page 239.

ALLUVION. 2o7

The peat beds of New-Haven, of Dutchefs
county,* &c. belong to this kind of alluvion ;
alfo many anomalous rocks of recent local for-
mation. Thofe petrifactions which are formed
of calcareous tufa, as the enormous lignite discov-
ered by Mr. J. C. Heartt in Madifon county, are
proper fubjecls of this formation. There is in the
Troy Lyceum a very extraordinary fpecimen of
holzjiein (femi-agatized wood) which was taken
from fecondary alluvion near Mobile. It is
the trunk of a tree fifteen inches long and fix
inches in diameter. Forms of knots upon it
are very perfect, and the grains of the wood
diftinctly imitated. Its mod remarkable pecul-
iarity is, that feveral petrified fpecimens of Xy-
lojiroma gigantea are contained in cleavages of it,
which flill retain the natural colour of that
fungus.

To enumerate the many fubftances contained
in fecondary alluvion would exceed the plan of
this Index. Indurated marl is found in it near
Albany, Troy, Catskill, and in numerous other
localities in the ftate of New- York. In New-
England marl is extremely rare. Dr. Wm.

• Rev. F. C. Scliaeffcr.
Y 2

2t;S ALLUVlOxV.

Bridgman found it however, in Wilbrahain,
Mafs. of a reddifh hue, and I found a grey vari-
ety at Northampton in fmall quantities. Pe-
troleum (Hquid bitumen) often iflues from this
kind of alluvion and forms an iridefcent pelli-
cle upon {landing waters. Vaft quantities of it
are found at Seneca Lake, where it is called
mineral oil. Dr. Mitchill found native fulphur
in it at Clifton Springs near Geneva. Mr. C.
I, Wiftar found amber in it with coal near
IVenton, N. J. and Mr. Godon found at Aliens-
town an excellent pigment of blue earth con-
taining phofphate of iron.*

Mofl: waters, which pafs through clay alluvi-
on, contain muriatic acid, (fpirit of fait) gene-
rally combined with lime. A folution of mu-
riate of foda is often found in other varieties of
alluvion ; but it feems to pafs through them
vviih rapidity, and on its paflage to be decom-
pofed by carbonate of lime and to be detained
only in the adhefive and compact layers of

* Mr. Schoolcraft obfcrved pebbles of granite, gncifs and
iiornbleiidc rock, intermixed with tlic fandy and calcareous al-
iitvion, in the vicinity of the Vienna gypfum, Ontario county;
which h very far from any locality of thefe rocks, being in the
midfl of a fccondary country.

ALLUVION. Sti^

clay. I cannot give my views of this fubject
better, than to tranfcribe a (hort paper which I
read before the Troy Lyceum.

" From the experiments and obfervations of
Dr. J. B. Beck/ Dr. John Torrey,t Dr. S.
Akerly and others, it appears that fome dorms
bring with them large quantities of muriate of
foda (common fait) to a little diftance from the
fea. Are there not fufficient reafons for be-
lieving that many ftorms bring with them mu-
riate of foda far into the interior, or even acrofs
the continent ? I do not intend to detain the
members of the Lyceum with a long diifertation
upon this queftion. But I will relate a few
fads which have come to my knowledge, with
a view to induce further enquiry.

" I have analyzed what is called the hard
water of wells in Waterford, Lanfingburgh
Troy, Albany, Hudfon, Athens, Catskill, Cai-
ro, Durham and Blenheim, in the flate of N.
York, and I find, they all contain muriate of
lime. There is no difficulty in accounting for
the prefence of the lime ; but whence comes

• Am. Jour. Science, p. 388. } Note to page 390.

^70 ALLL\ iOxN.

fuch an itninenfe and continued fupply of mu-
riatic acid ? For there is no evidence of the ex-
iftence of any fait mines in or near thefe locali.
ties. But fmce they are all embraced in a tran-
sition country, we are authorifed to prefume
there are none.

" May it not be fupplled.by ftorms, bringing
with them muriate of foda into the i?iterior of
Gur continent, as well as near the fea-board,
differing only in quantity ? Troy is about one
hundred miles from New-Haven, which is the
fhorteft diflance to the fea, and Albany is but
fix miles from Troy. Now I have tefted water,
falling in fudden (howers and long rain-ftorms,
repeatedly, at both thefe cities with the befl: pre-
pared nitrate of filver, and generally found
that it contained muriatic acid. I have not al-
ways found it in fnow water, but I did at one
fair trial in Albany.

" To avoid the pofTibility of error, I always
collected it in a glafs veffel placed in an open
yard at a diflance from any building or tree. .
And in order to be fure that no muriatic acid
could by any pofTible means adhere to the veffel,
1 always filled it with pure water, tefted by ni-

ALLUVION. 271

trate of filver, the lafl moment before I began
to collect the water.

e

" Is not one of the provifions of nature for
fertilizing foils and correcting impurities, that
of tranfporting fea-falt to every part of all ifl-
ands and continents, in combination with aque-
ous vapor ? Are not all other methods of ac-
counting for the almofl univerfal prefence of
muriatic acid in foils at variance with known
phenomena ?"

The rapidity with which alluvion is formed
is incalculable. The following obfervations
upon the quantity which pafTed by Albany, du-
ring three days of the frefhet of April 1819,
may be fomewhat interefting. That part of
the river, which included the flrength of the
current during the frefhet, was 1320 feet wide
and fifteen feet deep on an average ; giving
the area of a tranfverfe flieet of 9800 fquare feet,
oppofite to the Steam-boat dock. By meafuring
the didance from this dock to the ferry ftairs,
and repeatedly marking the time required for
logs, brufli, roots, &c. to pafs this diftance, I
afcertained that the average velocity of the wa-

272 ALLUVION.

ter for three days in fucceflion was four miles
per hour. Confequently 1 2,544,000 cubic feet
of water paffed every hou#. During the three
, days, I collected water from time to time, which
I fet into a clofc clofet for fix days to fettle.
And I found the earthy fediment averaged al-
mofl precifely one grain to a quart ot water.
Confequently, leaving out ail fractions, about
twelve hundred tons paffed Albany in three
days J or a four hundred ton fliip-load each
day.

Though this alluvial earth was not formed
during the frefhet, it was at lome time or other
produced by the difintegration of rocks. And
fmce fimilar frefhets are frequent, rocks muft
diffolve with great rapidity to furnifh all our
great rivers with the vafl: quantities of alluvi-
al earth, which they tranfport annually to their
mouths, and with which they form iflands, pen-
infulas, &c.

REFLECTIOiNS

ON THE HISTORY AND STRUCTURE

OF THE

EARTH

KIRWAN, De Luc, and feveral other geo-
logifts have adduced many geological fads as
collateral evidence in fupport of the authentici-
ty of Divine Revelation. And though Kirwan
has compared the order of creation, as related
by Mofcs, with his theory of the earth, I do
not know that any one has noticed the follow-
ing coincidence of a few well authenticated
fads.

I. It appears by the hiflory of creation giv-

;n in the fcriptures, that the materials conlHtu-

ing the earth were created and its folid bafis

finiflied, before animals or vegetables were form-

274 REFLECTIONS.

ed. In accordance with this fa£t, we now per-
ceive that there are no petrifactions , or organ-
ized remains of animals or vegetables in the
earth, excepting thofe which are intermixed
with the outer and more recent ftrata, evidently
derived from the earth's furface.

2. Aquatic animals were formed firfl ac-
cording to Mofes. This is confirmed by the
eftablilhed fa£t, that no other relics, but thofe
of the aquatic kind, are contained in tranfition
rocks, which are the oldeft containing any relics.

3. Dry land animals and plants were formed
fubfequent to the creation of aquatics according
to Mofes, and before the creation of man. Now
we find the remains of dry land animals and
plants in the newer, or fecondary, rocks ; but
not the fragment of a bone or any other part
of man has ever been found in either tranfition
or fecondary rocks.

4. Man was created laft, after the earth was
completed and parts of it covered with herbage j

of courfe after the procefs of difmtegration had |
commenced and foils were formed. In con-

REFLKX'TIOiNb. J76

firmation of this facl, we find the remains of
man no where but in the alluvion, out of which
he was formed. A fpecimen has been found
in Guadaloupe confining of part of a human
skeleton, embraced in an aggregate of calcare-
ous fand, confiderably indurated ; but not in a
fecondary rock (Iramm.

5. Mofes fays, the Lord made " every herb of
the field before it p;rew" — " whofe feed is in it-
felf," &c. This accords with the well known
fad, that new plants are flill fpringing up from
feeds, probably planted at the creation, wherev-
er forefts are cut away and other fteps taken to
prepare particular patches of earth for giving
growth to fuch particular plants. It is even faid,
that pulverized rocks have been known to af-
ford feeds and to give growth to new plants.
Perhaps this latter fad is not well authenticated.

It is true that fix days is but a fhort fpace of
time for the depofition of ftrata and for thofe
other events to have tranfpired in fucccfiion.
But we know that all operations were haftened
in effedling fo much in fo fliort a time ; and we
are only to believe, what is certainly moft ra-
tional, that though thefe operations were haften-
z

«7ii REFLECTIONS.

ed, the Almighty eflablifhed laws for governing
his works at the very firft, and endowed the
iirft created atom with its prefent properties.*

I do not pretend that this coincidence of
fcripture hiftory and geological difcoveries is
alone fufficient, or at all neceffary, to fupport
the authenticity of Divine Revelation. But it
is not unworthy the attention of the geologift.
Suppofe this order of things were reverfed. Sup-
pofe the remains of man alone were found in
primitive rocks, dry land animals and plants
alone in tranfition, and aquatics alone in the
moft recent fecondary rocks, would not every
Deift declare this to be conclufive proof, that
fcripture hiflory could not have been given by
infpiration?

From thefe few remarks it appears that, by
attentively (ludying the prefent ftru£lure of the
earth, and by duly confidering the millions of
organized beings whofe remains are almofl ev-
ery where in the more recent ftrata, we may ar-
rive at fome corredt views of the hiftory of our

• Some learned Divines fuppofe each day to Lave been a thou-
fand years, Imcc witli the Alniigluy "a thoufaad year* arc as
one day, and one day at a thouiind ycari."

REFLECTIONS.

planet. Cuvier fays, " would it not be glori-
" ous for man to buril; the limits of time, and,
" by a few obfervations, to afcertain the hifto-
*' ry of this world, and the feries of events
" which preceded the birth of the human

race

?'»

Many of the great revolutions which our
earth has undergone can be traced by exifting
monuments within our reach. " When the
" traveller," fays the illuftrious Cuvier,"*
" paffes through thofe fertile plains where gen-
•' tly-flowing llreams nourifh an abundant ve-
" getation, and where the foil, inhabited by a
•' numerous population, adorned with flourifh-
"^* ing villages, opulent cities and fuperb monu-
" ments, is never difturbed except by the rava-
" ges of war and the oppreflion of tyrants, he
" is not led to fufpedl that Nature alfo has her
" inteftine wars, and that the furface of the
" globe has been much convulfed by fucceffive
" revolutions and various cataftrophes. But
** his ideas change as foon as he digs into that
** foil which prefented fuch a peaceful afpeft,
** or afcends the hills which border the plain."

* Sec Cuvier'* Theory of the Earth, New- York Ed. p. 29.

*t8 REFLECTIONS.

Shells and other marine produ£lions " are
" found in elevations far above the level of ev-
" ery part of the ocean, and in places to which
" the fea could not be conveyed by any exifling
'•' caufe. Still we are forcibly led to believe,
" not only that the fea has at one period or
" another covered all our plains, but that it
" muft have** overtopped the hills and " re-
" mained there for a long time In a flate of

" tranquillity.** " The breaking to pieces

'' and overturnings of flrata fhow plainly that
" thofe cataflrophes were fudden and violent.-
" Life, therefore, has been often difturbed on
•* this earth by terrible events.**

I will not detain the reader with any further
general reflexions upon the hiftory or prefent
flrudure of the earth. The works of Cuvier,
Bakewell and De Luc contain every thing to
gratify the moft brilliant fancy, or the mod ra-
tional curiofity. But with refpe<ft to our own
country I will fuggeft, that if we fuppofe moft
of the primitive rocks to extend throughout
North- America, fometimes fupporting other
ftrata and fometimes expofed to our view from
the difruption or difintegration of the higher

REFLECTIONS. 279

ftrata, almofl every geological phenomenon may
be explained. We fhould then fay, that in
New-England the granite does not lie very low
any where ; and that in certain places it is
laid bare. That in the weflern dates it gene-
rally lies very low, and is entirely concealed by
tranfition and fecondary rocks. And that be-
yond the Miflifippi it is confiderably elevated,
lb that it becomes vifible in Arkanfaw. Alfo
that it comes fo near the furface for feven hun-
dred miles along the wefl: fide of the MilUfippi,
as to raife up its aflbciates, granular quartz and
primitive limeftone, to view.*

• See Sciioolcraft's obfervations in a note to tliis Isdex, p J26

CORRECTION.

At the U4th page it is faid that tlie mountain range of gncifs,
mica-flatc and talcofe rock including Saddle Mountain, is infu-
lated or pcninfular, on account of the niectiug of the two ranges
of granular limeftone. Since that part of the Index was ftruck
off, the 4d Vice Prcfidtnt of the Lyceum, David Duel, Jun. Efq.
has attentively traced the weflern range ot lime rock., and finds
it interrupted for a narrow fpice hy a branch of the talco-mica-
ceous rock, which crofTcs tlie valley near the foutheafk corner of
Wefb'Stofkbridge. This branch dircdts its courl'e towards the
Taghc<'i.nuc niountain, and may be the conacttliDg Jink between
the Highland and Hinfdale primitive ranges,
Z 2

Explanation of the Plates.

IN addition io explanations of PLATE I. in the fore-
part of the book, it should be observed that Fig. 3, is
to represent a secondary country, where both transition
and secondary rocks appear. By attending to the
numbers of the interrupted fields and patches of dif-
ferent strata, a pretty correct view of the secondary
country to the west may be formed. The figures re-
present the strata as follows : 1. Granite, 2. Gneiss,
•. Hornblende rock, 4. Mica-slate, 5. Talcose rock,
0. Granular limestone, 7. Argillite, 8. Metalliferous
limestone, 9. Graywacke, 10. Red sandstone, 11. Brec-
cia, 12. Compact limestone, 13. Gypsum, 14. Secondary
sandstone, 15. Basalt, 16. Greenstone trap.

PLATE II. is intended to represent the probable
appearance of the rocks between Susquehanna river
near Jericho in the state of New-York, and the Atlantic
ocean at Boston in Massachusetts. The rocks on the
surface are laid down from actual observation ; and,
I'fom an attentive consideration of the facts recorded in
this Index, it is inferred, that should these rocks be cut
across several miles in depth, they might present ap-
[•earances in some measure resembling these drawings,
Phe height of the mountains, k.c. is greatly dispropor-
lioned to the real extent of the section. In such a sec-
lion the deformities of the country must be highly car-
picaturedj in order to represent them to advantage on
a plate.

The lower saction on the plate is but a continuation
of the upper one. The figures represent similar strata
with those set down for Fig. 3, Plate I.

INDEX AND VOCABULARY.

ACTYNOLITE 138

Adularia 94

Aggregated, united by

adhesion.
Agate 251

\gate breccia 221

Agriculture 58

Ailiiviai class 28, 48, 257
Mliivion 49, 262

Alphabet 19

Alum-slate 175

Amethystine quartz,

it is violet blue 251

Amphibiolite 70

Amygdaloid 4G, 134,249
Amorphous, without
any regular shape,
uncrystallized.
Analcime 251

Analysis of soils 60

Anhydrous, not con-
taining any water.
Anomalous 166, 179

Anthracite, hard shin-
ing coal which burns
without smoke 163

Antimony 212

Argillaceous, clayey

Argillite
Arsenic
Asbestos
Augite

B

21, 36, 163

118, 138

161

105, 161

BaryteslOl, 111, 131, 166
[202

Basalt 46, 134, 249

Basanite 177

Bed. an extensive
mass interposed be-
twecnstrata or layers 165
Beryl 93, }Q4, 118, 121
Bismuth 104, 105

Bitumen, a mineral
substance in appear-
ance resembling
pitch. It gives the
peculiar odour to
burning pit coal.
Bituminous shale 234
Blende 111
Blocks, fragments of
rocks, in size between
pebbles and boulders,
perhaps between six,
and twenty-four, inch-
es in diameter.
Bones 218,219,266
Boulders, large frag-
ments of rocks ; larg-
er th»n blocks.
Breccia 42, 194, 217
Breccioids, resembling
breccia in appear-
ance but not in geo-
logical relations 221
Brittle slate 191, 209
Buel's observations 126

C

Calcareous sandstone 35
Calcareous spar, crys-
tallized,or semi-crys-

282

INDEX AND VOCABULAUr.

tallized carbonate of
lime 251

Capillary, shaped like

a hair.
Carbon, the basis of
charcoi!.

Carbonate, any com-
pound consisting- of a
base chemically com-
bined with carbonic
acid.

Carbonate of iron 104

Carbonic acid, the ba-
sis of charcoal chemi-
cally combined with
oxvgen.
Carburet of iron 173,202
Catskill ?.It. 193

Caverns 230, 232, 239

Chabasie 251

Chalcedony 104, 239, 251
Chalk 233

Chalybeate springsll 7,204
Chlorite 22, 173

Chlorite slate

173

Chrysoberyl

93

Classes

25

Cleavage, a natural

fissure or place ofse-

paration in a mineral.

Clinton's discourse

127

Coal 210,

239

Cobalt 118,

138

Coccolite

105

Columns

250

Combustibles

53

Compact limestone 43, 222
Concentric, when
spherical layers lie
over each other like

the coats ofan onion,
all having a common
centre.
Concholite 75

Concreted limestone 233
Conservatives 67

Copper 101, 185,212

Copperas water tI7, 131
Corallinite 199

Corals 85

Creation, history of 273
Crystalline limestone 154

D
Dalab;y's observations 126^
Decomposition, the se-
paratinnofthe consti- «
tuents of bodies by
chemical means.
Deliquesce, todissolve
by the moisture ofthe
atmosphere.
Dendritic, tree-shaped.
Diamond rock 177

Disintegrating agents 257
Disintegration, the
crumbling down ef
rocks into alluvial
soil.

Disseminated, when
small minerals are •
scattered or inter-
spersed in the sub-
stance of larger ones,
or in rocks.
Dolomite 35, 161

Drawing-slate 174

E
Efflorescence, the pow-
der on some saline or
alkaline substancesby

INDEX AND VOCABULARY.

2C3

exposure to the at-
niojiphfire.
Elastic marble 161

Eiitomolitc 71

Epidolo 138

Erismatolite 85

F
Fascicular, composed
of several needle-
form diverging crvs-
tals.
Felspar 20, 93, 103

Fish, impressionsof 163,215
Fibrous quartz 174

Filiform, in the form
of threads.
Fissile, easily split in-
to parts.
Flint

Flinty slate
Floetz, a GermanvFord
used to denote Hat or
nearly horizontal
strata.
Floetz limestone
Fluor spar, duoric acid
combined with lime, 101,
[111
Freestone -09

G
Garnets 144, 145

Geest [pronounced j^-
est, derived from ge,
lanj.and csf/, i«] 48,

[257
Geop;noS3', nearly the
same as geolog}'.
Though ^o•-i.■ geolo-
gists apj.ly i more
particijl;ir!y to the

229
209

4:

theory of the forma-
tions.

Giant's causeway

Gibraltar

Glance, a German
word for shining.

Glass sand

Glossed argillite

Gneiss 32,

Granite 31,91,111,

Granular limestone 35,
[124,

Granular quartz, 35,
[177,

Graphic slate

Graywacke 38,

Greenstone porphyry

Greenstone trap 47,
[137,

Grindstone

Gritstone

Gypsum 22,44, 227,
H

Hard water

Helmintholite

Hematitic ore

Hepatic water 175,

liolzstein

Hornblende 21, 118,

Hornblende rock 32,

Hornslone

Hydrogen gas, inflam-
mable air, the basis
of water.

I

Ichthyolite

Indicolite

Iridescent, coloured
like the rainbow.

Iron 104, 118, 132,
[149^161,

250
216

146
173
112
228
123,
154
123,
228
174
187
133
134,
253
195
39
237

26&
71
150
204
2G7
140
133
229

71

121

143,

2&'i

>>84

INDEX AND VOCABULARY.

Jasper

174,234.239

K

Kalmia

211

Lamellar, consisting of

plate?.
La:nellar qnartz 251

Laaiinae. tliin p'.ales or

leaves.
Lava 28

Leaci 100, 3 01, 11 1, 185,
[202, 228
Lenticular, shaped like
a double convex lens,
or a spectacle glass.
When the resem-
blance is bat very
distant, it is still call-
ed lenticular.
Lenticular iron ore 265
Lias gtratun3 222

Limestone 22, 35, 43, 228
Lithographic stone 232,
[23S
Ljdian stone 177

M
Magnesia 152, 161

Magnetic, attracted by

iron.
Mammodolite 70

Manganese 124, 203

Marble 162,226

Marl, a compact mass
of carbonate of lime,
clay and sand, 62, 367
Mechanical depositee,
beds or layers which
were deposited from
a state of suspension
in water.

jMelanite 132, 140

I Metalliferous, contain-
j ing ores or metals
Metalliferous •lime-
stone 37, 164, 181
Metals 55, 210
Mica 20, 93, 121
Micaceous iron 149
Mica-siate 34,142
Miiford marble 160
Milky quartz 173, 179, 217
Molybdena 93,94,109
Money-diggers 109
Muriatic acid 268

N
Nagelfluh 220

Niagara 214

Nodule, protuberance

or knob.
Nova-Scotia 217

Nutriment 62

O
Obsidian 28

Oceanic 230

Ochre, alluvial earth
of various kinds com-
bined with oxyd or
carbonate of iron.
Opal 239

Organic relics GG

Oxygen, pure respira-
ble air. When com-
bined with a metal, it
forms a rust or oxvd
ofit.

P
Palisadocs 254

Peat 267

Pebbles 50

Petrifactions 67

Petrolcnni 26?^

INDEX AND VOCABULAk\.

J6.

Petro-silex 104

Phosphate of lime* 110,

[132
Ph3toIite 90

Pitiite 144

Plumbago, or black
lead, consists of car-
bon with a little iron 94,
[105,109, 113, 113,124
Porphvritic gneiss 115, 116
Porphyry " 33,134

Potsloue, a fine close-
grained variety oftal-
cose rock 147

Precious stones 53

Prehnite 13C, 251

Primary alluvion 263

Primitive class 25, 31, 9!
Primitive slate 164

Primitive trap 33, 133, 136,
[13b
Puddingstone 130, 216

Pumice 29

Pyrites, comMnation
of metals with sulphur
particularly iron and
copper 174,201

Pyroxene 161

Q,uarry stones 62

Quartz 19,35,101,111,

[173, 175

Quartz crystals 177, 180

* Since this work went to
prcfs. Dr John Torrcy has in-
formed me, that he and Mr.
Pitrce have difcDVcred cryftaU
of phofphate of lime in mlca-
flutc near N. York, one inch in
diameter.

Quartzose, chiefly

made up of quartz.

R
Rain 270

Bed sandstone 40, 206

Retleclions on the

Earth, kc. 273

Relics 66

Rock-salt 44, 241

Rocky Mt. 106, 228

Rubblestone OG, 188, 190

S
Salisbury mine 150

Salt 44

Sandstone 40,44,227

Sappare 145

Sapphire 203

Sardonyx 251

Secondary alluvion 264
Secondary class 26, 213
Secondary sandstone 44
[243
Selenite 227

Septarium 247

Serpentine 37, 100, 110,
[148, 150, 152, 162
Shell limestone 43

Shorl, black opaque

prismatic crystals 104,
[110, 145
Sienite 33, 133, 134

Silirious felspar 98,121
Silicious slate 176

-':Uer 185, 202

S.ate 227

Snapstone 147, 148

Specular, having pol-

-iied f;«fes
Sj.ecular iron ore 149, 150
statuary marble 162

^■MikcMiifeiy*

286

INDEX AND VOCABULARY.

Staurotiue 144

Transition class 26

36,

163

Stealite 147

Transition limestone

37,

St.ilstein 14

1

183

Stilbite 231

Translucent, admitting

Storms 26.'

the transmission

of

StnaU'.i quartz Ho

light but not so as to

StroGtian 201,234

present distinct ima-

.''M!)orcliaate 16 5

• C-.

Sulphate, when any

Transparent, through

base is united with

« hicli objects may be

'lulphuric acid.

■iistinctly seen.

Siilpnate of iron 117,131,

i rap 3.3

47,

193

[L'4l

Tremolite

104,

161

Sulphate of lime 240

Tufa, carbonate ofi

ime

Sulphnret, when sul-

which has been d«

'po-

pti'ir, in its siinple

sited from water

in a

state uncombined

concrete state

29

wilh oxygon, is che-

Tungsten

104

rarcall.y comoioed

U

vyi;h a metal or an

Useful minerals

52

alkali.

V

Sulphuret of iron 117,204

Vegetable nutnme

nt

62

Sij!j>huretted hydro-

Veins of granite

97

gen 175, 176, 204

Verde-antique

161

Superincumbent class 'i",

Volcanic ashes

28

[46, 24ii

Volcanic breccia

29

T

W

Tabular, table-like.

Water

269

broad in proportion to

U'at(-r limestone

246

the thickness.
'liffc 21, 147, 14C

Wells

269

Whetstones

145

Talco-micaceous rock I4b'.

iVhinstone

256

[lf>(>

X

T.ilcosc rork 34, 14 ;

Xylostroma

267

T alcose slate 174

y

Tt;llurium 1< 1

Young's remarks

129

Toa ..■'Uiiie 24 it

Z

Tourmaline, resem-

■/..•nlite

251

bling shorl but is not

Zinc ini,

111,

18.C«

bhck 98, liJl

Zucou 1*4,

110,

118

^.^.^v^'!^ V

,1 ill iiiiuiiiliiiiiiii ''"'"'Aii:';;''"'

3 9424 03046 2300

iJ

University of British Columbia Library

DUE DATE