290 . Scientific Geology. 



ning in a different direction from the laminae ; a circumstance very 

 common, it is said, in Europe. But in general strata seams are dis- 

 coverable, lying parallel to the slaty structure, as in mica slate. The 

 slate, indeed, contains numerous seams not coincident with those of 

 the strata : but there is rarely any continuous parallelism among 

 them. 



The predominant direction of the strata and of the laminae of slate 

 in all the ranges of this rock, except that around Boston, and that in 

 Franklin County, is north and south, and the dip large ; as the fol- 

 lowing extract from my traveling notes will show. 



In Worcester County. 



Harvard and Lancaster ; direction, North a few degrees East ; 

 dip, 90. 



Shirley ; direction, North and South ; dip, West, small. 



Pepper ell and Townsend; direction, North and South; dip, 30 to 

 60 East. 



In Franklin County. 



Bernardston ; direction, North and South ; dip, 20 to 90 East. 

 Guilford, Vt. ; direction, between North and Northeast ; dip, near 

 90 degrees. 



In Berkshire County. 



Taconic Range; direction, North and South ; dip, 15 to 70 East. 



If, as I have supposed, the strata seams are parallel to the laminae 

 of the slate, and the dip approaches 90 degrees, then the actual thick- 

 ness of this rock will not be much less than its breadth on the sur- 

 face. As to its perpendicular thickness, I know nothing. 



Organic Remains. 



No vegetable or animal relic in a fossil state has hitherto been 

 found in the argillaceous slate of Massachusetts. Since, however, 

 this rock in the eastern part of the State, is associated with gray- 

 wacke, and in the western part of the State passes into the same, it 

 will not be strange if organic remains should hereafter be found in 

 it. Every range of this rock, however, in the State, we have reason 

 to believe, belongs to the oldest varieties of argillaceous slate, which 

 geologists have described. 



