222 GEOLOGY OF THE TfflRD DISTRICT. 



Along the Mohawk at Amsterdam village, they are numerous on its east side. In the gap 

 of the Noses they occur, and of large size, appearing as if they had rolled from the cliflf. 



From Pulaski village over a large section towards Jefferson county, they are in the greatest 

 abundance, and often clustered together ; as, for example, at the elevation near the county 

 Une, on the Port Ontario road. 



Boulders are numerous all over the counties of Montgomery, Herkimer and Oneida north 

 of the Mohawk, and in Lewis county. The greater number and the largest size are found 

 over the alluvial plain near Boonville, which appears to have been a favorable point for accu- 

 mulation, and a distributing place for Lansing's kill especially. Many of them are beautiful 

 granites, in which red felspar is the chief constituent ; in others, coccolite is abundant, and 

 also table spar. Throughout the Primary region, boulders of its rock are of frequent occur- 

 rence, particularly in the water courses. 



In Lewis county, boulders arc found upon all its terraces, and appear to have been carried 

 over on the west side, and distributed thence over the northeast part of Oswego county ; so 

 that in the third district, they are found on the south, the west and the northwest of the 

 primarj' nucleus. 



Boulders or Blocks of the Transition Class. 



On the limestone range there are boulders from some of the rocks below it, which conse- 

 quently have been carried south, and raised to a higher elevation when compared with their 

 present outcrop. South of the range, there are numerous blocks which formed a part of its 

 mass, and which have also been carried miles from their original position. The same fact is 

 true also of the Tully limestone, numerous blocks of which exist upon the surface, and par- 

 tially buried, and for miles south of where it is in place. 



The parent rocks of these blocks or boulders, and the distance travelled by the latter from 

 the present outcrop of the former, are well known ; and whatever may have been the agency 

 which has brought these boulders to the places they now occupy, the same in all probability 

 effected the transportation of the more numerous and more generally diffused primary boulders 

 found south of the Mohawk valley, all of which had likewise a northern origin. 



The terrace of limestone to the northeast of Cherry- Valley shows many large blocks of 

 Oneida conglomerate, which appear amongst the primary ones in the enclosures, etc. They 

 also occur along the same range in Herkimer and Oneida counties. 



The Oriskany sandstone first appears out of place, and at a higher level, in Grout's quarry, 

 amongst the drift or alluvion on the top of the Onondaga limestone, the thickness of the 

 Cauda-galli grit and Onondaga limestone being the difference of its original position and the 

 top of the quarry. The sandstone showed characters of a local origin. The same sandstone 

 is found in great abundance, and immense blocks, scattered over the hills in the to\vns of 

 Madison, Eaton, Hamilton and Lebanon, being more numerous towards the valley of the 

 Chenango canal. They often appear on the side-hills, but few having been noticed towards 

 the middle of the valleys. All the blocks there seen were the counterpart of the mass at 



