1886.] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 217 



musses of quartzite, atid finegrained, dark colored conglomerate. 

 None of this rock Avas seen in place. It resembles the Potsdam, 

 and there is probably a local fold here which brings this rock to 

 the surface. In tlie siliceous soil resulting from its decay grow 

 many plants which are abundant on the pre-glacial drift soils of 

 sand and gravel in southern New Jersey and elsewhere along the 

 coast. Among these are Ascyrum Crux-Andrece, Si>/Iosanihes 

 elatior, Quercus n'ujrn, Quercus ohtusiloba and GmipliaUum 

 jmrpurenin, none of wliich were seen on the limestone soils to 

 the west. 



The famous caverns are situated about a mile west of the rail- 

 road station. They have been fully and repeatedly described, 

 and I can add little to what has been said of them. They 

 fire in this magnesian limestone, here bedded very flat, dipping 

 on the average perhaps 10° S. E. in very thick strata. The rock 

 is heavily ferriferous, and the ornamentation, which, in one form 

 or another, covers nearly the entire surface of the cave, is mostly 

 somewhat brownish in color, though there are some nearly white 

 columns and pendents. The entire floor is thickly covered with 

 brownish-red clay, reaching a depth of at least four feet in 

 places, which represents the less soluble portions of the lime- 

 stone. This clay is a prominent surface feature here as elsewhere 

 in the valley, and in several places brick are made from it, the 

 sub-aerial decomposition of the limestone yielding the same or 

 closely similar products as the subterranean decay. Quartz is 

 very scarce in the Luray Caverns; a few crystals are pointed out 

 in the roof near the entrance, and in a few places the siliceous 

 portions of the limestone which have resisted the general erosion 

 of the rock may be seen standing in relief. At present, the cave 

 is very dry; a few pools of water are seen, but there are no sub- 

 terranean streams, and it would appear that the excavations are 

 complete so far as natural causes are concerned. In regard to 

 the ornamentation, I will simply say that it is superb; no 

 lengthy account can give a clear idea of its grandeur, delicacy, 

 and beauty. Its most curious feature, or rather the one 

 which appeared to me most difficult to explain, is short, 

 irregularly curving, slender projections from certain ver- 

 tical limestone faces. These are called Haledites by the guides. 

 They are but an inch or two long, and project from the rock at 

 various angles. They recall the appearance of icicles formed in 

 a strong wind. The only vegetation noticed were the mycelia 

 of fungi, very delicate, growing on planks used for flooring. I 

 have seen similar ones in many mines. 



Page Valley continues southwestwardly from Luray to Port 

 Eepublic. There are other caverns known in it, among them 

 Wythe's Cave. Hematite and ochre are mined in numerous places. 



