Geology, ^c. of the Connecticut. 47 



greater distance on the other. The broken fragments of 

 tke two rocks are confusedly mingled together, the sand- 

 stone breaking into large tables, and the greenstone into 

 pieces only a few inches across. These huge tables are 

 covered and fringed with a great variety of cryptogamous 

 plants, such as various species of Pamclia, Juggermannia, 

 Sticta, Collema, Bartramia, Hypnum, Polypodium, Aspidium, 

 Asphnum^ ^c. ; most of which are evergreen. And if the 

 geologist be also a lover of this department of botany, he 

 will find the wild and confused blending of such a variety of 

 interesting objects to repay him amply for the labor and 

 even danger of clambering over the fragments. I have 

 never seen any rocks that seemed so congenial to the 

 growth of cryptogamous plants as those constituting Mount 

 Toby. 



But to return from this digression. As the observer fol- 

 lows this greenstone southerly, commencing at its northern 

 extremity on the banks of Connecticut river, and sees the 

 lofty precipices of sandstone overhanging it, little doubt 

 will remain in his mind that the greenstone actually passes 

 under the sandstone. Yet any one acquainted with the 

 anomalies of trap rocks will have the question arising in 

 his mind, may not this greenstone, after all, here constitute 

 an extensive dike? and he will hardly be satisfied until he 

 sees the actual contact of the two rocks in place. One 

 mile north-east of Sunderland meeting-house, the greater 

 part of the greenstone ridge disappears and seems to run, 

 under the sandstone; but here a few feet of debris hide the 

 actual junction. A little farther south an actual junction 

 is seen; but the huge table of sandstone resting on the trap 

 is removed a few feet from its original position. And, in- 

 deed, I never knew expectation so frequently disappointed, 

 just at the moment when it seemed about to be realized, as 

 in examining this range. It seems as if nature intended here 

 to teach the geologist a lesson of patience. But, at length, 

 one mile and a half south-east of Sunderland meeting- 

 house, the observer comes to a valley worn by a brook, 

 where finding the greenstone, which thus far has preserved 

 almost a right line, widening towards the east, and form- 

 ing a reentering angle in the sandstone, the angular 

 point being in the brook ; he will have little doubt that 



