10 Geological Reports on the State of Neio York. 



The Avon springs are much celebrated, and of them a notice 

 was given in the last volume of this Journal, page 188. 



" The waters of all the Avon springs give out powerfully the odor of 

 sulphuretted hydrogen, and have a strong saline taste. They speedily 

 blacken silver and the salts of lead. The solution of arsenious acid is but 

 slightly altered by it until after the addition of an acid ; from which I infer 

 that a portion of the sulphuretted hydrogen is in a state of combination 

 with some basis." 



We do not observe that particular mention is made of some 

 exceedingly remarkable sulphureous fountains eight miles N. W. 

 of Canandaigua. We visited them some years since, and were 

 saluted with the odor of the gas full half a mile from the fountains. 

 They gush from a hill, in a stream so copious as to turn a mill ; 

 they rise also in vast abundance from an extensive marsh at its 

 foot, and sulphur sometimes of a lemon yellow color, is abundantly 

 deposited. 



The existence of sour springs containing free sulphuric acid, 

 mentioned in this Journal, Yol. xx, p. 239, is confirmed by Dr. 

 Beck. 



" Genesee Springs. — In the county of Genesee, we have, near North 

 Byron, a sulphuretted spring, the gas of which is so copiously given out 

 as to be inflamed ; and in the southeast part of the same town are springs 

 of a similar kind. 



" Sulphuric Acid. — A very remarkable locality in this vicinity deserve3 

 to be particularly noticed here, as the occurrence is undoubtedly to be 

 referred to the same general agencies which are concerned in the pro- 

 duction of sulphuretted hydrogen. I refer to the Sour Spring, so called, 

 which exists in Byron, near the canal. The acid is produced from a hil- 

 lock about 230 feet long and 100 broad, elevated four or five feet above 

 the surrounding plane. According to Professor Eaton, the strength of 

 the acid increases in a drought. He states, that when he examined the 

 locality considerable rain had recently fallen, and the acid in most places 

 was very dilute, but in some it appeared to be perfectly concentrated, and 

 nearly dry in its combination with the charred vegetable coat. In this 

 state it was diffused throughout the whole hillock, which was every where 

 covered with charred vegetable matter to the depth of five to thirty or forty 

 inches, occasioned by the action of the sulphuric acid. Wherever holes 

 were sunk in this hill the acid accumulated, and also in the depressions 

 of the contiguous meadow grounds. 



" There is another locality of a similar kind a hundred rods west of 

 Byron hotel, and two miles east of the former, which is remarkable, in 

 consequence of the great quantity of acid. It is a spring which issues 



