76 Geology, &c. of the Connecticut. 
lites. No. 11. Gneiss like greyish white rock, “consisting 
of small rounded quartz pebbles, and sometimes of copper 
and mica, cemenied by indurated clay. No. 12. Old 
red sandstone, or the dead rock, being the fundamental 
rock of these floetz strata.” (Rees Cyc. Art. Icthyolites.) 
Under these circumstances I ae thought it safe to de- 
nominate the peculiar rocks under consideration along the 
Connecticut, the coal formation. A more complete set of 
them has been forwarded to. Mr. Brongniart, and we wait 
anxiously for his fival opinion. The suspicious circumstan- 
ces attending them and the occurrence of the coal hitherto 
discovered in thin beds and veins only, render it very doubtful 
whether extensive beds of this valuable mineral will ever be 
found in them. They have been merereny: explored 
at South- Hadley, Southington and Westfield, Ct. But I 
would net wish to discourage further search. The decision © 
of the question above discussed, concerning the precise 
rank they ought to hold in the rock formations of the globe, 
is one of considerable imporiance, since it will depend on 
that decision whether coal or copper or gypsum may be - 
sought after with the greatest cape of success. The 
Uf 
have long been to me a fruitful source of perplexity, and 
nemo and again baye I returned from traversing them in 
ter air of ever determining their real geological rela- 
pe To denominate them the coal formation relieves, 
for a time, most of these difficulties: but that name will 
cheerfully be resigned. whenever a more correct one shall 
he proposed 
Organic Remains in the Coal Formation. 
1. Lcthyolites. 
These occur at Westfield, Ct. and at Sunderland, Mass. ; 
and it is said also at some other places, as at West- pring- 
field; but I have never seen any, except from these two 
localities. At Westfield they were found in-exploring for 
coal, lying upon bituminous shale. ‘Two species at least 
were recognized, one of which Mr. Brongniart calls the Pa- 
lethrissum freislebenense of Blainville. "These i impressions 
have been so repeatedly and accurately described by Prof. 
Silliman in Cleaveland’s Mineralogy and the American 
Jour. of Science, that itis unnecessary to i more particular. 
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