SCIENTIFIC SURVEY. 071 



About sunset, they made their appearance bearing- bruin between 

 them slung on a pole. He was a fine large, long-legged, lank- 

 sided ranger. As we intended to have his skin stuflTed for preser- 

 vation in the cabinet, we proceeded to take it off in shape for that 

 purpose, which we did through "much tribulation." While both 

 of our hands were employed in skinning the bear, the black flies 

 improved the opportunity to skin us, and by the time we had fin- 

 ished, in point of suffering and the entire condition of his skin, the 

 bear was by far the best off. 



We camped here during the night, and in the morning turned 

 our faces Patten-ward, and prepared to wend our way to the 

 " ivorld outside the woods.'' 



My next route of observation was up the Aroostook road through 

 Masardis, Ashland, Presque Isle, Fort Fairfield, thence to Iloulton, 

 Linneus, and from Linneus across through No. 5 to Island Falls 

 and to Patten. 



Marls. 



In addition to the extensive bed of marl discovered by you, and 

 described in your report of last year, I am able, from personal ex- 

 amination, to add that several of the ponds in Fort Fairfield have 

 large deposits of it, and that several of the bogs or low grounds 

 adjacent to these waters afford it very abundantly. The pond near 

 mills belonging to Wm. A. Sampson, also a pond in the north- 

 westerly part of the township are floored over with it ; and so 

 abundant is it, that in dry times the shores and flats laid bare by 

 the drouth look as if covered with snow. I have forwarded speci- 

 mens for your examination and analysis. Probably, judging from 

 its external appearance, the carbonate of lime largely predominates 

 over the clay or aluminous portion of it. If so, besides its value 

 as a fertilizer, it might possibly-, with very little manipulations, be 

 prepared for use in many purposes of the arts. 



Why may it not bScome a substitute for whiting, and serve for 

 making putty — also for an addition to the several pigments in the 

 manufacture of oil cloths, for which purpose hundreds of tons of 

 foreign whiting are now used in the State ? 



I respectfully suggest that experiments to ascertain its capabili- 

 ty for such economical uses be instituted, and the results, pro or 

 con, be made known. 



