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  ' 
  GEOLOGY. 
  

  

  ployed 
  in 
  producing 
  these 
  effects, 
  surpassing 
  in 
  energy 
  

   any 
  pli3'sical 
  process 
  now 
  in 
  action. 
  

  

  Some, 
  however, 
  yet 
  maintain 
  a 
  belief 
  in 
  a 
  more 
  tran- 
  

   quil 
  and 
  gradual 
  accumulation, 
  by 
  causes 
  now 
  operating 
  

   with 
  existing 
  intensities. 
  

  

  As 
  there 
  are 
  doubtless 
  many 
  who 
  have 
  not 
  investi- 
  

   gated 
  this 
  subject 
  very 
  thoroughly, 
  or 
  have 
  made 
  them- 
  

   selves 
  familiar 
  with 
  the 
  various 
  theories 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  

   advanced, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  as 
  well 
  to 
  state 
  that 
  the 
  transporta- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  materials 
  composing 
  the 
  diluvial 
  beds 
  is 
  now 
  

   generally 
  attributed 
  to 
  the 
  combined 
  action 
  of 
  ice 
  and 
  

   water. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  been 
  said 
  that 
  investigations 
  into 
  the 
  character 
  

   of 
  the 
  drift 
  have 
  been 
  too 
  much 
  neglected, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  

   accumulation 
  of 
  facts 
  connected 
  with 
  it, 
  where 
  circum- 
  

   stances 
  favor 
  the 
  examination, 
  is 
  highly 
  desirable. 
  

  

  Constituting 
  an 
  important 
  and 
  very 
  interesting 
  fea- 
  

   ture 
  in 
  the 
  geology 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  the 
  character, 
  composi- 
  

   tion, 
  and 
  distribution 
  of 
  the 
  deposit 
  will 
  be 
  here 
  noticed. 
  

   The 
  reader 
  can 
  adopt 
  his 
  own 
  hypothesis, 
  as 
  to 
  its 
  origin 
  

   and 
  the 
  agent 
  of 
  transportation. 
  

  

  These 
  deposits 
  include 
  the 
  clay, 
  sand, 
  and 
  gravel, 
  con- 
  

   taining 
  existing 
  species 
  of 
  testacea, 
  and 
  the 
  remains 
  of 
  

   extinct 
  mammalia. 
  

  

  The 
  loam, 
  or 
  loess, 
  before 
  spoken 
  of, 
  and 
  again 
  re- 
  

   ferred 
  to 
  as 
  a 
  diluvial 
  marl, 
  is 
  of 
  course 
  embraced, 
  as 
  

   aflbrding 
  no 
  proofs 
  of 
  long 
  submergence, 
  but 
  on 
  the 
  con- 
  

   trary 
  many 
  of 
  rapid 
  accumulation. 
  This 
  is 
  evident 
  

   in 
  the 
  character 
  and 
  dispersion 
  of 
  its 
  fossils 
  through 
  the 
  

   stratum, 
  and 
  in 
  its 
  homogeneous 
  character; 
  for 
  it 
  is 
  dif- 
  

   ficult 
  to 
  suppose 
  it 
  to 
  have 
  preserved 
  that 
  aspect 
  if 
  formed 
  

   by 
  the 
  inconceivably 
  slow 
  process 
  of 
  deposition 
  as 
  river 
  

   silt 
  ; 
  a 
  process, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  calculation 
  of 
  eminent 
  

   geologists, 
  taking 
  the 
  ascertained 
  rate 
  of 
  deposition 
  of 
  

  

  