364 Report on national musKitm, isso. 



consequence of tlic ina.i?n otic- iron it contains, vA'liicli, though it heightens 

 its beauty, uniits it i"oi' exposure to the weather." So far as the present 

 writer is aware tbese quarries have uot been worked since the time 

 mentioned by Trofessor Shepard ; i. e., since a few years subsequent to 

 IS 11. 



7>c/a?rrtre.— Serpentine of various sliadcs of green is stated to occur 

 about miles nortlieast from Wilmington, New Castle County, and also 

 to the westward, near the State line, where I>randywine Creek enters 

 the State line from rcnnsylvajiia.* So far as the Curator is aware it 

 has never been quarried. 



Maine. — A large bed of Hori)entine occurs on the northern end of 

 Deer Tsle, in Penobscot Bay, in this State. The rock is very massive, 

 and of a <lark green, almost black (!olor, sometimes streaked and spotted 

 by veins of amianthus and diallage crystals. It is indeed almost too 

 dark and somber for ornamental work, but seems well adapted for 

 general building purposes and very durable. A company was formed 

 some years ago for working this stone, and who erected a shoj) for saws 

 and grinding beds. A considerable amount of material was quarried, 

 but the work was soon discontinued, and had not been resumed at the 

 time of the Avritcr's visit in ISSl. The company seem to have fallen 

 into the error of supposing that the stone could be used in long pieces 

 and slabs suitable for window trimmings, door-posts, etc., for which, 

 owing to its jointed condition, it is entirely unfitted. The deposit 

 covers a nearly level .area of many acres in extent, and within a short 

 distance of tlie ship])ing wh.arf. 



Maryland. — In the vicinity of Broad Creek, in Harford Couidy, in 

 this State, occurs a v(^ry large deposit of serpentine, which is described 

 by Professor Genth t substantially as follows : 



" The outcrop of the first or upper bed of green serpentine, of about 

 500 feet in thickness, can be traced by its outcrop almost the whole dis- 

 tance between the upper ford on Broad Creek and over the hill in a north- 

 easterly direction to a ravine on the same creek, a distance of about 

 1,800 feet ; it also crosses the creek in a southwesterly direction, but it 

 has not been ascertained how far it extends. The outcrop of the se(;ond 

 bed was measured on the top of the hill between tlie horseshoe of 

 Broad Creek, and found to be about 180 feet, and it is very conspicuous 

 on the west side of the creek. Its full extent was not determined. The 

 rock is a variety of massive seri)entino somewhat resembling ttiilliamsifc, 

 and shows sometimes a slightly slaty structure. It occurs in various 

 shades, from a pale leek green to a deep bhuikish green, and from a 

 small admixture of magnetic iron, more or less clouded; rarely with 

 thin veins of dolomite ])assing through the mass. It is translucent to 

 semi transparent, exceedingly tough, and its hardness is considerably 



• Gcol. of Dclii., 1841, 1). :Jo. 



tGicological Report of tlio Maryland '' Verdo Aiitiqno" marJdc, <i((;., iti Harford 

 Couuty, Md., by Prof. V. A. (UmiMi, iH/f.. 



