Miscellaneous Facts and Observations. 161 



careous strata of which (so far as the Editor has ob- 

 served, in the course of an extensive tour through 

 that State) are almost entirely made up of shells, and 

 animal exwoiee, of various other kinds. The Tusca- 

 rora-town, at the distance of a few miles from Nia- 

 gara-Falls, is situated upon a bed of limestone, almost 

 every part of which is impressed with the images of 

 sea-shells, and other animals. The Editor traced this 

 bed for at least two miles ; but he has reason to be- 

 lieve, that it stretches Eastward beyond the Jenisseia- 

 River. — Hitherto (so far as the Editor knows), no 

 vestiges of organic remains have been discovered in 

 any of the gypseous strata of the United-States. 



33. " Near the waters of Buffaloe-creek (which runs 

 into Lake-Erie), a most curious stone has lately been 

 found, which appears to have been of a vegetable 

 growth. It weighs about two pounds, is nearly round, 

 and about four inches in diameter. It is of a darkish 

 colour, and resembles a pear. A part of it was dis- 

 covered projecting out of a solid rock, from which it 

 was extracted by means of a crow-bar. It was acci- 

 dentally split into nearly two equal parts in the act of 

 severing it from the rock, upon which nearly a pint 

 of unctuous matter, of a greenish colour, and rancid 

 smell, oozed from its interior parts, which appear to 

 be of the nature of a sponge. It seems to have been 

 united to the rock, by a large stem, nearly the size of 

 ouc's wrist. The internal parts appear to be com- 

 posed of an infinitude of small cavities, which arc 



x 



