Geological Reports on the State of New York. 35 



The rocks are principally limestones, shales, and sandstones. 

 There are no anticlinal or synclinal lines, no appearances of a 

 disturbing force in the line of bearing, the outcrop and elevation 

 being very uniform. The soil is eminently calcareous and fitted 

 for wheat ; there is great facility of transportation ; much excel- 

 lent building stone, and a stratum of rich iron ore for twenty or 

 thirty miles. 



On the question of coal or no coal, Mr. Hall remarks : 



" To those unacquainted with the true character of the coal formation 

 and the relative position of these rocks, there are, indeed, some appear- 

 ances that would indicate the presence of coal. Bituminous matter, or 

 petroleum, is present in all, except the lowest rocks of the district,* and 

 when we come to the shales above the mountain limestone, thin seams 

 and disseminated particles of highly bituminous coal are of frequent oc- 

 currence. The escape of inflammable gas, and the odor of bitumen 

 which accompany most of the rocks, are considered as evidences of coal 

 at no great depth below the surface, and under*this erroneous impression 

 the diggings or borings for coal have been undertaken. Although there 

 is no necessary connection between coal and petroleum, yet the presence 

 of this substance and the escape of inflammable gas from so many points 

 in the different rocks is truly remarkable, when we consider that these 

 rocks are so far below the slates and sandstones of the coal formation. It 

 would appear that the causes which produced the bituminous character 

 of the coal of Western Pennsylvania, were in operation at the time the 

 -lower rocks were deposited. 



" Whatever cause we please to assign for the production of this bitu- 

 minous matter, we shall readily perceive that it is not essentially depend- 

 ent upon coal, and that its presence in that mineral is rather accidental 

 than otherwise. The presence or absence of bituminous matter as char- 

 acterizing different ages or formations of coal, is worthy of little reliance. 

 We here find rocks of great thickness and extent, containing so much 

 bituminous matter as to render its presence observable on percussion ; 

 and cavities are often found filled with petroleum. Some of the shales 

 contain so much of this substance that they will ignite ; and yet all the 

 fossil vegetables are a few species of Fucoides, the prevailing fossils in all 

 these rocks being marine Testacea. The same rocks, too, that in our 

 district are bituminous, in the eastern part of the State are entirely desti- 

 tute of this substance : and in the latter place bear the same relation to 



* The red marl and sandstone I have not found to be bituminous,, though in- 

 flammable gas (carburetted hydrogen) issues from the rocks of this formation in 

 many places along the Erie canal, between Middleport and Gasport. Niagara 

 county. 



