Peat. 139 
of the walls to consist of a kind of semi-indurated pudding- 
stone. Sometimes a thin stratum of fine, loose sand occurs. 
At 300 feet, the coal stratum disappears, passing below the 
bottom of the drift. 
The last hundred feet is chiefly gravel, which is now sup- 
ported by timbers. 
Southampton, Aug. 26, 1818. 
Arr. VII. On the Peat of Dutchess County—read before the 
Lyceum of Natural History, in New-York, by the Rev. 
‘AB C. Scuarrrer, of New-York, and by him communicated 
to the Editor. 
IK May, 1817, I brought specimens of marl and peat from 
Dutchess county, which were taken from a fen, or bog, occupy- 
gan area of some acres. These fens occur frequently in the 
towns of Rhinebeck, Northeast, Clinton, &c. in Dutchess 
county. During a part of the year they are covered with 
water. 
After clearing away the fresh sod and recent vegetable 
; mould, there appeared, : j 
: = stratum or bed of peat, commonly called turf, varying 
—o depth from three to four feet. 
. aaa of peat and marl commingled; depth two 
t. 
wah, stratum of pure marl, from two to three feet. Below 
these there was an appearance of sand and blue clay. 
a first, or upper stratum, consists of compact peat. This 
and tance, when first taken up, is of a dark brown colour, soft, 
are rather viscid, Some vegetable fibres and vacuous seeds 
any conv ted throughout the mass. It may be moulded to 
*nvenient form, When perfectly dry, the texture of 
