132 Oeological Communications. 



Art. ^W.— Geological Communications. 

 1 . Crotalus ? reliquus, or Arundo ? crotaloides. 



TO PROF. SILLIMAN. 



I SEND you the long promised drawing of the Montrose petrifac- 

 tion. I have had it drawn twice^ besides several other unsuccessful 

 attempts. Our best connoisseurs in drawing agree, that it is very 

 difficult to make a drawing of this specimen, which will convey a 

 just idea of it. But Miss T. Lee, of the Troy Female Seminary, 

 has succeeded in making the most perfect resemblance. I am anxious 

 to have it laid before the scientific public, of both continents, for a 

 decision on the question — to which of the two kingdoms of nature 

 does it belong — the animal or vegetable? If to the animal, it is un- 

 questionably of the order opMdia, and probably of the genus Crotalus. 

 If a Crotalus, I give it the specific name reliquus; because I can de- 

 duce no safe characteristics from this fragment. It certainly bears 

 some resemblance, in general outline, to the Phytilus Martini, which 

 is of the reed family. But even the character of that petrifaction is 

 not perfectly established. Besides, in my specimen, there are ap- 

 parently essential differences. In the part marked F — curvilinear 

 fibres, unquestionably the product of organization, appear as in the 

 drawing ; and there are traces of the same in the part marked D. 

 It is true, that these may be the mineral substitutions for the veins of 

 lateral leafy appendages; but it is truly wonderful, that a reed should 

 present so many of the characteristics of the modern rattlesnake. 



I presume naturalists will generally decide, that it is nearly related 

 to Martin's petrifaction ; therefore I will state particulars, to enable 

 them to review the opinion given of that relic. The drawing here 

 given is the natural size, and its dimensions are exact proportional 

 measures. The curvilinear fibres appear strong and distinct — from 

 one to three lines apart at their origin, generally converging towards 

 their extremities, but in some cases distinctly bifurcate. It is the 

 segment of a compressed hollow cylinder. On laying a rule from B 

 |,o C, the depression in the middle is two lines. 



This specimen was presented to me by Dr. Rose, of Montrose, in 

 Susquehanna county, Penn. He found it in the graywacke rock, on 

 his own estate. Mr. C. Van Rensselaer and myself, traced that rock 

 to the Carbondale and Tioga coal deposits. It lies over the Carbon- 

 ^ale anasphaltic coal, (commonly called anthracite, but 1 think im- 



