12 



pies. Many other cases might be adduced of equal 

 interest. 



The unstratified drift in the western part of the 

 State, and the Champlain rocks, are to a great extent 

 covered by a post-tertiary marine deposit of stratified 

 sand and clay, which has been called the Pleistocene 

 formation. The strata of this formation are nearly 

 horizontal, and are, for the most part, undisturbed and 

 regular, showing- that they were deposited in a tranquil 

 sea. The depth of this deposit, in places, exceeds 100 

 feet, and the highest parts of it are about 400 feet 

 above the present level of the ocean. The fossils 

 found in it are considerably numerous, and are, in 

 general, such as are now found in a living state on the 

 coast of New England. The fossil bones of a small 

 species of whale, which I had the pleasure to exhibit 

 before this Society in December last, were found in 

 this formation. 



From the remarks which I have made, it must be 

 obvious that Vermont combines in its geology the 

 characteristics of western New England with those of 

 New York. The meeting, in Vermont, of two great 

 botanical and zoological districts or provinces, is equal- 

 ly apparent. 



Vermont, for a small inland State, is regarded as 

 peculiarly rich in vegetable productions ; and some 

 portions of the State have been pretty thoroughly 

 explored by skiful botanists. When its settlement was 

 commenced, its entire surface was covered with for- 

 ests, which were probably unsurpassed, in density and 

 luxuriance, by those of any other section of our country 

 of equal area. The sugar maple and white pine found 

 no where else a more congenial soil ; and the ever- 



