122 Geological Communications. 
Arr. XII.— Geological Communscations. 
- 1. Crotalus? reliquus, or Arundo? ecrotalovdes. 
TO PROF. SILLIMAN. 
I senp you the long promised drawing of the Montrose petrifac- 
tion. I have had it drawn twice, besides several other unsuccessful 
attempts. Our best connoisseurs in drawing agree, that it is very 
difficult to make a drawing of this specimen, which will convey a 
just idea of it. But Miss T. Lee, of the Troy Female Seminary, 
has succeeded in making the most perfect resemblance. Tam anxious 
to have it laid before the scientific public, of both continents, for @ 
decision on the question—to which of the two kingdoms of nature 
does it belong—the animal or vegetable? If to the animal, it is un- 
questionably of the order ophidia, and probably of the genus Crotalus. 
If a Crotalus, I give it the specific name religuus; because I can de- 
duce no safe characteristics from this fragment. It certainly bears 
some resemblance, in general outline, to the Phytilus Martini, which 
_is of the reed family. But even the character of that petrifaction is 
not perfectly established. Besides, in my specimen, there are ap- 
parently essential differences. In the part marked F—curvilinear 
fibres, unquestionably the product of organization, appear as in the 
drawing ; and there are traces of the same in the part marked D. 
It is true, that these may be the mineral substitutions for the veins of 
lateral leafy appendages; but it is truly wonderful, that a reed should 
present so many of the characteristics of the modern rattlesnake. 
I presume naturalists will generally decide, that it is nearly relate 
to Martin’s petrifaction; therefore I will state particulars, to enable 
them to review the opinion given of that relic. ‘The drawing here 
given is the natural size, and its dimensions are exact pro ortional 
_ measures. The curvilinear fibres appear strong and distin —from 
one to three lines apart at their origin, generally converging towards 
their extremities, but in some cases distinetly bifurcate. It is the 
segment of a compressed hollow cylinder. On laying a rule from B 
to C, the depression in the middle is two lines. 
This specimen was presented to me by Dr. Rose, of Montrose, i 
Susquehanna county, Penn. He found it in the graywacke rock, on 
his own estate. Mr. C. Van Rensselaer and myself, traced that rock 
to the Carbondale and Tioga coal deposits. It lies over the Carbon- 
dale anasphaltic coal, (commonly called anthracite, but 1 think im” 
A 
