260 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [May 18, 
THE GENETIC RELATIONS OF CERTAIN MINERALS 
OF NORTHERN NEW YORK. 
By C. H. Smyta, JR. 
To mineralogists few locality names are more familiar than 
those of the northwestern portion of the Adirondack area of 
crystalline rocks, comprising parts of St. Lawrence, Jefferson 
and Lewis counties, N. Y. Every large collection contains 
numerous specimens representing these localities; while their 
importance is further demonstrated by abundant descriptions, 
analyses and figures in mineralogical text-books and in various 
journals. In this literature much information is given as to the 
crystallographic, physical and chemical characteristics of the 
different minerals; but little has been published as to their 
origin and associations. The present paper is concerned with 
this latter phase of the subject, being, however, only a brief. 
consideration of a few special cases, rather than a comprehensive 
survey of the entire field. It is hoped that future study may 
afford the basis for a more extended account of the mineral oc- 
currences, with their classification upon a genetic basis; but at 
present the available data are insufficient for this purpose. 
It seems rather surprising that this line of investigation has 
not been previously followed up, as the minerals have been so 
long and so widely known. But the same might be said of many 
other localities, and is to be explained by the fact that mineralo- 
gists so generally confine their studies to the laboratory, while 
geologists devote their attention chiefly to minerals of petrologic 
or economic importance. Perhaps, however, the most potent cause 
for the neglect of this field lies in the fact that in so many cases 
the data obtainable are insuflicient to afford a satisfactory ex- 
planation of the origin of the minerals. As a result of these 
combined causes, many occurrences remain unstudied that might 
shed much light upon the questions of mineral association and 
genesis. 
The localities here considered belong to a class interesting to 
geologists and mineralogists alike, as they are important in 
shedding light upon some phases of the geologica) history of 
the region, while, at the same time, they afford a rich field for 
mineralogical study. 
It is only necessary to read Dana’s list of the mineral locali- 
ties of the region to find a suggestion of some of the laws of 
association as well as a clue to possible origin. Galena, pyrite 
and, less often, sphalerite, commonly occur together in a gangue 
of calcite and other carbonates, pointing clearly tosome kind of 
