414 EOLIAN LIMESTONE. 



ville, the river passes through a very narrow and deep gorge in the limestone. The 

 amount of terrace materials is so great in Chittenden, that the limestone shows itself 

 only three or four times. The most northern ledge we examined was about two miles 

 north of North Chittenden, where erosion has removed all the rock except a single tower 

 thirty feet high. It was difficult to ascertain the position of the strata of the tower. 

 They seemed to run N. 20E., and to stand upon their edges. A few planes dipping 15 

 S.W., may possibly have been the lines dividing the layers. 



The third and fourth spurs start from G-rangerville together, and after a separation of 

 two miles, unite and pass on through Brandon to an unknown termination. Chittenden 

 cave is located upon this spur. The prevailing dip is small to the eastward. 



The fifth spur runs up the valley of Sugar Hollow River, from Pittsford village to Lake 

 Dunmore, and perhaps further. Near the north line of Pittsford, the limestone is divided 

 into two beds, by strata of schist and conglomerate. The general character of the limestone 

 in all these spurs is the same. It is a fetid thick-bedded magnesian limestone, weathering 

 black except at Chittenden cave. See Plate II. and VIII, for maps of this interesting 

 region. 



The main body of the Eolian limestone from which these spurs diverge, is usually wide 

 in Pittsford. Owing to the soft character of the limestone, much of it has been worn 

 away, leaving a great basin. In fact the limestone is rarely found upon a hill, unless it is 

 protected by an overlying rock of a firmer texture. The sudden termination of the deep 

 valley of Otter Creek, at Sutherland's Falls, may indicate the action of disturbing forces. 



Pittsford is unusually interesting for its geological features. One may study here to his 

 profit, the alternation of these different rocks, the tertiary deposits, the alluvial deposits, 

 and interesting cases of old river beds ; and as the geologist tarries in the community, 

 he will be charmed by the enterprise and intelligence of the inhabitants. 



From Pittsford to Brandon, the rock is mostly concealed by drift, but enough is seen to 

 show that the ledges near Brandon are less highly inclined than those in Pittsford. 



The limestones, marbles and dolomites of Brandon are full of interest, as is shown 

 elsewhere. In Leicester the limestone is unusually impure, containing both silex and 

 magnesia. The strata are highly inclined to the east at the eastern border of the deposit 

 or along the west part of Lake Dunmore. Near Whiting Railroad station, there is a 

 small ridge of limestone and marble, extending into Leicester. Generally, in Whiting, 

 east of the slate, the limestone is slaty, obscure, and is but slightly inclined to the east. 

 In Salisbury the limestone is like that described in Leicester. Half a mile south of the 

 village there is a belt of impure talcose schist. In Middlebury, marble is found over an 

 unusually wide area in the line of strike with that at Whiting station. This is due to 

 the fact that the limestone is quite variable in its position, in consequence of the general 

 small inclination of its strata. In the northwest part of the town, the limestone is dark- 

 colored and contains obscure fossils. In passing north from the village to Belden's Falls, 

 the pedestrian will pass over many interesting marble quarries and beds of limestone, all 

 thoroughly metamorphic. At a quarry near the falls, the quality of the marble is excel- 

 lent, but the great number of joints traversing it render it unfit for use. Otter Creek has 

 worn a gorge through the limestone adjacent, thereby displaying its lithological charac- 

 ter to good advantage. Other ledges of marble are found in the north and east part of 



