348 RBLICKS OF ANIMALS FORMERLY INHABITING 



stone, through the whole distance to Upper Canada: 

 Near Utica, encrinites and hippurites, as well as pecti- 

 nites, are found in the shistic strata ; as are other regular 

 though fantastic forms of bodies evidently organic. The 

 white sandstone of Cayuga contains bivalve shells, which 

 I take to be a species of fluted cardium or cockle. The 

 rest of these petrifactions consist chiefly of marine shells 

 and madrepores preserved in fetid limestone. The shells 

 are mostly of the bivalve order, consisting of scallops, 

 clams and cockles, with a few oysters, all consolidated 

 into rock. The madrepores are various, some repre- 

 senting the forms, as the people say, of buffaloes' horns ; 

 others of honey-combs and hornets' nests; and others 

 again of riddles and sieves ; and other odd comparisons, 

 as of cow dung, &c. all petrified. 



These are so frequent and so numerous, that through 

 the whole of this extensive region the rocks are studded 

 with them. 



Near Oxford, in Chenango county, New- York, the 

 mould of a very large and singular terebruin or screw 

 shell was formed in a quarry of red sandstone, and for- 

 warded to me by the Hon. Uri Tracy. 



Among the organic substances, those found near 

 Wilkesbarre, in Pennsylvania, are not the least curious. 

 In that vicinity there is an extensive formation of shining 

 coal, of the kind that is somewhat difficult to burn, and 

 which emits but a small flame. The strata that cover this 

 coal are a sort of argillaceous slate, that contains nu- 

 merous and plain impressions of ferns and other capillary 

 plants, and of the bark of palm trees. I am indebted to 

 Mr. John Bradbury for the specimens which are impressed 

 with these remarkable characters. 



