170 Scientific Geology. 



gether, yet it must not be understood that it is entirely homogenous 

 and destitute of stratification. In all deluges, during their swelling 

 and subsiding, there will be more or less of flux and reflux, of vio- 

 lence and quiescence in the waters, and of course the materials de- 

 posited will be sometimes finer than at others. This will lay the 

 foundation for stratification, and indeed, most diluvium exhibits as 

 much of it as those coarse consolidated conglomerates in the older 

 rocks, which sometimes alternate with sandstones and even shales. 

 This resemblance in their character is interesting, because it proves 

 an identity of causes in their production. It is not very common, 

 however, to see in our diluvium a very sudden change from coarse 

 to fine materials. I was hence interested in the section of a diluvial 

 hill in Schoodack, N. York, through which (as laid bare by excava- 

 ting the road,) there extended a stratum of loam, the mass of the hill 

 being made up of coarse gravel. This stratum was only a foot thick 

 at its upper extremity, and dipped a few degrees towards the north. 

 Near its lower extremity, it had been bent downwards nearly at right 

 angles, as shown below ; and the-- upright portions were drawn out, 

 as if in a plastic state when the lower part slid downwards. For to 

 suppose that the hill had thus sunk, will satisfactorily explain the 

 case ; and as such an occurrence would be more likely to take place 

 when the whole mass was saturated with water, we should expect 

 that the loam would be in a plastic state. Very probably the inclined 

 position of the whole stratum resulted from a slipping down of that 

 part of the hill which embraced it. 



Diluvial Bank : Schoodack, N. Y. 



Mineral Contents. 



Since diluvium embraces portions of every rock that rises to the 

 surface, we might expect to find in it specimens of all the minerals 



