CLINTON COUNTY. 



321 



limits. Not one of the species of the calciferous is found in the trenlon hmestonc, nnd 1 

 have never observed any in the birdseyc of the Mohawk ; but it seems to limit these particular 

 species too much, to suppose they have in no instance reached the beds whicli succeed so 

 soon, and which difl'er so little in composition. It is certainly remarkable that nature should 

 restrict the existence of several species to the bounds of ten feet, and sometimes less. 



Section of the Champlain Group, at Highgate, Vt. 



The shore of the lake upon the east side has been already spoken of as consisting of the 

 limestones, shales and grits of the upper members of the Champlain group. The red and 

 grey grits, which were described under the head of Essex county as ranging in a northerly 

 direction through Addison and Charlotte, appear again south of Burlington on the lake shore ; 

 also at Sharpshins, north two or three miles, where it lines for a great distance the shores of 

 the deep bays which abound in this part of the lake. These red and grey grits have been 

 described in sufficient detail, and their general range and geological position clearly pointed 

 out. The mass of shales beneath, however, may well receive a moment's attention ; as no 

 opportunity has vet offered for describing these remarkable masses, so as to present them in 

 all their phases. I shall not, however, go into a minute description of them, but confine my 

 remarks to one or two locahties where they are exposed to inspection by uplifts. 



One of these localities is Highgate, situated on both sides of the Missisque river, where 

 there is a considerable fall, partly in consequence of the disturbance of the rocks, and partly 

 from their perishable nature, being worn through by the action of the current in the river, 

 which is exceeding powerful at this place. The following section exhibits some of the strata, 

 which are broken through at this place : 



1. Masses of shale and grit, altemaling regularly with 



each other, 



2. Fragmentary limestone. 



3. Slaty limestone. 



4. Dove-colored limestone, which appears to be equiva- 



lent to the Swanton marble. 



5. Even-bedded slate. 



6. Dove-colored limestone, with a few fossils. 



7. Drab-colored layers, similar to strata in the calcife- 



rous sandrock. 



8. Slate filled with imperfect concretions. 



9. Drab-colored even-bedded layers. 



Probably few formations present so great a diversity in lithological characters. In the space 

 of fifty yards, all the varieties above enumerated are exposed in nearly perpendicular cliffs, 

 from seventy to one hundred feet high. The dove-colored limestones are among some of the 



Geol. 2d Dist. 41 



