49 [NUes. 



tain lyinii about south east of the hamlet of Santc Fe, are formed the 

 Sierra de los Cristales which do not rise to any considerable height, but 

 the general level of the country is much more broken between them. 

 The Pico de la Daguilla appears to form an exception to the general 

 rule as regards the direction of the ranges, though the exception is only 

 one of appearances. Its summit, which rises into a conical form near 

 the apex, reaches the height of 590 feet, and being quite free of trees 

 commands the best view of the whole island. The San Jose hills 

 are low and inconspicuous, more like those of Bibijagua, and are 

 separated at a wide distance from the Pico de la Daguilla, besides lying 

 a little north of the general trend of the series of ranges. These moun- 

 tains are composed of mica and talcose slate intermingled with con- 

 siderable quartz, especially upon the Sierra de los Cristales, the slates 

 varying considerably in different places, being much altered upon the 

 Pico de la Daguilla. Though no good opportunities for direct examin- 

 ation were offered, yet the slates appeared to rest upon the limestones ; 

 both were altogether destitute of fossils, — with the exception of the 

 Pico de la Daguilla, which, in this respect, more resembled the northern 

 mountains. The central ranges were covered with a growth of pine. 

 The level plains were covered with a conglomerate rock of a peculiar 

 character, consisting of small black pebbles in a reddish paste, strongly 

 impregnated with iron, affecting the compass even at the distance of 

 fifteen feet from the ground. The roads over this were exceedingly 

 hard and smooth. 



Mr. Niles stated that he had noticed among the hills 

 of Western Massachusetts, that frequently there are hills on 

 different ranges having similar appearances in the charac- 

 ters of their surface, soil and vegetation. 



On a closer examination he had observed the underlpng rock was the 

 same. The ranges of hills trend in a northwesterly and southeasterly 

 direction, while the strata with a vertical dip have a strike of nearly 

 north and south. Therefore the stratum which on one range consti- 

 tutes the fundamental rock of a certain farm or tract of land, may 

 form the underlying rock of a farm on an eastern range but situated 

 to the north; or, of a farm on a western range, but located to the 

 south. He observed that the number and character of the springs 

 were similar on those farms of different ranges which have the same 

 kind of rock. The owner of a certain hill-top farm could raise with 

 success the same crops as another hill-top farmer having the same 

 underlying rock, but on another range a mile or two distant to the 

 north or south. Each could benefit from the experiments of the other, 



PKOCEKDINGS B. S. N. H.— VOL. X. 4 DECEMBER, 1865. 



