86 Geology, ^-c. of the Connecticut. 



stream, which, in winter floods, is filled with huge masses 

 of ice to the very bottom. 



In the west part of Shelburne this river descends a cata- 

 ract thirty or forty feet high. The rock in the bottom of 

 the river is an aggregate of quartz and mica with horn- 

 blende intermixed, and below the falls it is unstratified, al- 

 most without seams and very hard. Yet here we might 

 expect the force of the torrent would be most powerful ; 

 and accordingly we find masses of this rock from one to 

 ten feet in diameter, raised from their bed, and some of 

 them removed down the stream one or two miles, some only 

 a few rods, and I saw one or two of the largest but just be- 

 ginning to be raised from their bed. Previous to viewing 

 this spot, 1 had no just ideas of the enormous force exerted 

 by a mountain torrent. 



[Part II. in the next Number.] 



Art. II.* — A Memoir on the Catskill Mountains with notices 

 of their Topography., Scenery., Mineralogy., Zoology, eco- 

 nomical resources, c^c. By James Pierce, Esq,. 



The Catskill Mountains or ranges connected with them, 

 extend from the vicinity of the St. Lawrence to the Alle- 

 ghany ridge. In the neighborhood of the Hudson they 

 sweep in a semicircular form, presenting wild and irregular 

 eminences which rise to a. greater altitude than any moun- 

 tains in the United States, some in New-England excepted. 



The eastern face of the ridge is steep or precipitous, dis- 

 playing numerous mural precipices of great extent, and of- 

 ten of sufficient width to be distinguished at the distance of 

 twenty miles. They appear encircling the mountain like 

 enormous bands. 



From the summit ledges, superb views are presented of 

 the great valley of the Hudson, and distant mountains of 

 New-York and New-England; for extent, interest and di- 

 versity, they are unequalled in this country. 



In the waving profile of the Catskill mountains many su- 

 gar loaf eminences tower above the general range. Among 



*OriginalIy read before the Catskill Lyceum, but forwarded with additioat 

 and corrections, for insertion in this Journal. 



