62 Office of lite Nilrogcn of the Airy 



lliuious in a south westerly direction along the east side of the High- 

 land range, crossing New York, New Jersey, Pennsykanluj Virginia, 

 and the Carolinas. It passes into novaculite in many places. The 

 Rey. John C. Keeney sent me specimens of novacnlite from Sparta in 

 Georgia, which is directly in the gold range. I wish not to press 

 any vmsupported hypothesis upon the scientific republic ; but shall I 

 be deemed extravagant m the following opinion ? If Gen. Field's 

 specimen o( gold, found in Newikne, Vermont, was a native speci- 

 men j we may anticipate the discovery of gold In the talcose slate 

 fmm Hporpr-ia in Canndn. nlnnp- the fiast side of the Grecn Mountain 



range. 



I am aware of the danger of deciding geological questions from 

 hand specimens- But these are so well characterized, that I do not 

 hesitate to commit myself fully on this statement — 1 have hcforc me 

 gold from JVorih Carolina^ connecied with a gangue of quart z^ semi- 

 translucent^ which is emhraced in talcose slateJ^ 



Rensselaer School, Troy, Nov. 7, 1829, 



Art. VIL — On the Office of the Nitrogen of the 

 of Resj)iraiion ; 5i/ Lewis C. BkcKjM. D. Pro 



try, Sec. in the Vermont Academy of Medicinc- 



The partj wliich the large proportion of nitrogen in om' atmos- 

 phere performs during respiration, has often excited the attention of 

 chemists and physiologists. But until recently the investigadons up- 

 on this point have not been attended with much success, and even at 



* Remarks, — The above pa[)er was mislaid, which prevented its appcaiance 

 in the January luuitbcr of this Journal. Ifl a comiuuuicution from Prof. Eaton, dated 

 Feb. ISj 1330, it is mentioned thj.t a little gold has been lately found iu talcose slate 

 la Maryland. 



He mentions 2I50 that two of his pupils have recently crossed the Carolina 

 gold region, and from their report and other concurrent tesUmony, he conchidcs 

 '* that n^c gold i^ in the talcose slate." He adds 



" At p, 353, of Vol. 17, under Mincrological Joumoy, £cc. I observe that the 

 " soap?tone quarry" is not referred to the talcose slate stratum. It seems, that the 

 ilonbt thrown upon this subject in the treatise on the gCD!o;:;y of Connecticut Hiver> 

 stUl remains. It is too important a point in the geology of North America to remain 

 m doubt; especially as it is so easily determined, I have traced the talcose slate 

 from Savoy and Florida, Mass. to the great ?5^pstonc quarries of Windham, Vt. and 

 found the soupstoac there to he a couttiiuou: v*uicly of the very suuic individual tul- 



3C rock of JIa.:5achusetts." 



