566 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893. 



however, tliat but little could have beeu done under the most favorable 

 of circumstances, owing to color and textural qualiticatious. The stone 

 varies in color from light amber to deep resinous brown, and often shows 

 most beautifully the peculiar wavy, undulatory bands of color so char- 

 acteristic of rocks of this class. Both color and texture are, however, 

 variable, and it is impossible to obtain slabs of any size that are not 

 rendered undesirable through porous layers, or monotonous and even 

 objectionable from their dull resinous hues. tSome beautiful material 

 was here obtained, and doubtless more might yet be found, but Amer- 

 icans, and tliose who call themselves such, have yet to learn how to 

 conduct such an enterprise profitably. Another small deposit that was 

 worked to some extent exists on Sulphur Creek, in Colusa County 

 This is a very beautiful stone, of a rich deep-brown color, with bedding 

 veins of lighter yellowish-brown. The quantity is said to be quite 

 limited and to be obtained only in blocks of small size. The coloring 

 matter in both these cases is wholly organic, analyses showing scarcely 

 a trace of metallic oxides or other impurities. In the reports of the 

 State mineralogist the Sulphur Creek stone is described as occurring 

 in the form of a vein cousistiugof two seams, each about 5 inches thick. 

 A quantity of the rough stone was at one time sent to England, where 

 it found a ready market. Some onyx of a light-brown color, beautifully 

 veined, occurs in the quarries of the Colton jNIarble Company, in San 

 Bernardino County. It is said to have been used only to a slight 

 extent. The writer never having seen samples, can express no opinion 

 regarding its qualities. Near Crescent Falls, on the Sacramento River, 

 6 miles below Sisson, in Siskiyou County, is still another deposit, yield- 

 ing material of a beautiful emerald-green color. I am informed by Mr. 

 J. S. Diller, of the U. S. Geological Survey, that the stone occurs onlj' 

 in the form of a vein 4 to G inches wide in granite, the vein being open 

 in the middle and allowing the escape of an excellent spring of soda 

 sulphur water. The deposit is very irregular and of limited extent 

 along the strike, and probably also limited in depth. It is too irregular 

 to furnish large slabs and of too small extent to afford any con- 

 siderable quantity of material. Onyx marbles have also been reported 

 at Gold Euu, in Placer County ; Las Penas-qintos Creek, San Diego 

 County; Oro Grande, San Bernardino County; Vacaville, Solano 

 County ; Geyserville, SonomaConnty; Tuscan Springs, Tehama County; 

 Three Rivers, in Tulare County; near the head waters of Eel River, 

 in Lake County; Bridgeport, Mono County; Little Castaca Cafion, Los 

 Angeles County, and on Santa Catalina Island. None of these have, 

 however, as yet been shown to be of sufficient extent to have any 

 commercial value, nor has the writer seen any of the material. 



Eastern Appalachian L'egion. — The valley of Virginia, extending 

 throughout the entire length of the State, running in a southwesterly 

 direction from Harpers Ferry on the north, is underlaid by limestones of 

 Silurian or Cambrian age. Percolating waters, acting through untold 

 years, have dissolved out, in these, numerous caverns in the manner 



