130 GEOLOGY OF THE TmRD DISTRICT. 



" fibres, curving outwards from the centre, always in the same direction, like the hair part- 

 " ing on the crown of a man's head." This description accords perfectly well with No. 1 of 

 the woodcut. 



The origin of these singular forms, at one period of the survey, did not appear easy to deter- 

 mine. From the great abundance of unknown forms of marine vegetation which exist in many 

 of the rocks of the New- York system, the obvious and primary conclusion was that they 

 were sea plants, and to be referred to fucoids ; no fact then being known, which could lead to 

 the adoption of a contrary or diflferent conclusion. Had not their organic nature been as it 

 were determined, I should at one time have been disposed to have advocated the opposite one, 

 namely, mineral ; having had my attention attracted by the perfect resemblance which water, 

 when freezing upon a board, presents to these forms ; and also in a shallow pond, when the 

 temperature is of that degree merely, which produces an extremely thin sheet of ice. In 

 the former instance, there was identity with the forms of this mass ; being unprovided with 

 stems, and the parts being interrupted, and more raised or in relief, and without a defined out- 

 line. In the latter case, there were well defined stems, a foot or more in length at the one end, 

 and at the other the continuous feathery or plumose appearance, curving circularly, and resem- 

 bling some which have been seen in the rocks of the Hamilton group, one of which is figured 

 imder the head of that group. From these facts, it was conceivable that the forms in ques- 

 tion might be owing to the crystallization of some material, which belonged or existed in the 

 rock, having like properties as to form with water, and exhibiting them when the condition 

 for their production existed or were complied with. The contrary opinion must, however, be 

 the true one, when we consider their great number, their fixed position, the many peculiar 

 forms which those of the upper rocks present, and our total ignorance of the existence of any 

 substance other than water which could produce them ; and were this the cause, they would 

 not, as one might suppose from its universality, be restricted as they are to the three positions 

 in which they are found. And finally, that no difficulty exists in adhering to the opinion first 

 advanced of their vegetable nature ; firmly believing that the power which gives form to 

 crystals is as much an agent in the production of form in organic bodies as it is in inorganic 

 ones, the difference between the two being caused by the addition of life as in vegetables, and 

 of life and consciousness as in animals, or their causes, should such an expression be pre- 

 ferred ; these powers modifying the action of the primary one, just as we find that the laws 

 of chemical action are changed by the same causes or powers, producing thereby a mineral, 

 vegetable, and animal chemistry. 



Be the cause of these forms what it may, it is not extraordinary that near the confines of 

 the two regions of organic and inorganic bodies, appearances should exist, in which a diffi- 

 culty might occur as to which they should be referred. The subject is of interest from 

 their form, the graceful curves which they exhibit, their fixed position, and their great num- 

 ber ; leading the mind also to connect powers which should be brought together from their 

 universality and kindred nature, but judging from the manner in which they are considered, 

 would, but for facts of this kind, be probably ever kept asunder. 



