GEOLocrr. 217 



bottoms of Lake Erie and Ontario are principal] v 

 Kme-stone, which is in a state of augmentation. 

 In the county of Onondaga, at a place called the 

 Little Lakes, I observed the great elaboratory of 

 nature at work in the formation of calcareous 

 locks, and as I humbly conceive, by a double 

 process. First, by depositions from its waters iu 

 which lime was dififused — and second, by the 

 operation of springs rising from the bottom of the 

 lakes, and extruding calcareous matter from the 

 bowels o| the eartli. V/heihrr i am correct as io 

 tm» ccr:?p!ex pcTcr. I c?.rir!o* ^^y — ]?m as to the 

 fact of the creation of tufa, it must be obvious to 

 the most inexperienced eye. in order to gain all 

 the light I could on this interesting subject, I 

 took a short journey to the village of Marcellus, 

 hi the connty of Onondaga. The production of 

 lime stones of large size at nine mile creek, near 

 tliis place, is a very extraordinary thing. On the 

 banks of the creek, there is a petrified or fossil 

 tree, over which there is a large limestome, and 

 w hich stone must have been formed after the petri- 

 faction of the tree, and the whole process is appa- 

 rent to the observer. After the first deposition, 

 and a consequent induration, the stone is covered 

 by a lichen w hich retains a subsequent deposition, 

 and which hardens and enlarges as before. The 

 h^-rdness of the hine stcne increases with its depth- 



