_ _ ^ ^ 



308 ~ OrnithichnoJogy. 



most distinct depressions on one of them, with four correspondent 

 projections on the other ; precisely resembhng the impressions of the 

 feet of a large bird in mud. Indeed, among the hundreds who have ex- 

 amined these specimens, probably no one doubts that such was their 

 origin. Having never been injured by exposure, they are perhaps 

 the most perfect specimens, that I have been able to obtain. They 

 were dug from a quarry in the southwest part of Montague, less than 

 half a mile from Connecticut river, and elevated above that stream, 

 not more than one hundred feet. The strata there, dip easterly, not 

 more than five degrees ; and the layer containing the impressions, 

 was several feet below the surface. Only one variety of track has 



yet been discovered at that spot. ^ 



Not long afterwards, Col. John Wilson of Deerfield, pointed out 

 to me similar impressions on the flagging stones in that village. 

 Having ascertained that these w^ere brought from the town of Gill, 

 from a quarry on the bank of Connecticut river, at a place called the 

 Horse Race, nearly three miles higher up the stream than Turner's 

 Falls, and eight or nine miles north of the quarry in Montague, 

 above described, I visited the spot, and was gratified to find several 

 distinct kinds of similar impressions; some of them very small, and 

 others almost incredibly large. This quarry lies immediately upon the 

 northern bank of Connecticut river ; the strata dipping southerly at 

 an angle of 30°, and passing directly under the stream, without any 

 intervening alluvium. The rock is a gray micaceous sandstone, very 

 much resembling, in hand specimens, somo varieties of mica slate, 

 with about the same degree of hardness and not very fissile. 



In passing over the ^ide walks at Northampton, during the sura- 

 - mer, I discovered several examples of similar impressions upon the 

 flao-o-ing stones. These stones were obtained from a quarry in the 



southeast part of the same town, on the east side of Mount Tom : 

 and on resorting thither, I found numerous examples, some of them 

 very fine, of several kinds of tracks. The strata at this spot, dip to 

 the east, not m.ore than 10°, and pass directly beneath Connecticut 

 river, by which they are washed. There are three varieties of the 

 _.__ on which the impressions occur at this locality : 1, a reddis i 

 shale, or rather a fine micaceous sandstone passing into shale 

 red marl, I suppose, of geologists : 2, a gray micaceous sandstone: 

 3, a very hard sandstone, not very fissile and quite brittle, cciroo- 

 sed of clay and sand. These varieties are interstratified in a rather 

 irregular manner. By the water, and the quarrymen, the rock is 



rock 



the 



