Miscellanies. 191 



State of Pennsylvania, where that rock exhibits the appearance of being 

 regularly stratified. Several members presented facts respecting other 

 localities bearing upon the question of the origin, whether strictly in- 

 trusive or metamorphic, of certain belts of serpentine. 



A statement was made in regard to the frequent occurrence of fos- 

 sil infusoria in almost every town in New England in which primary 

 rocks prevail. A member observed, that after the most diligent search, 

 he had been unable to detect them in the cretaceous group. After 

 remarks by several other members, the conclusion was, that so far as 

 fossil infusoria are known in this country, they are confined to the 

 primary formations. 



A notice was next presented of the occurrence of the native black 

 peroxide of copper, on the shores of Lake Superior. This was fol- 

 lowed by remarks upon the copper ores of New Jersey. 



Some observations were then made regarding the coal fields of 

 Pennsylvania, particularly with reference to certain changes in the 

 chemical composition of the coal as we proceed from the east to the 

 west. Statements corroborating the general correctness of the views 

 presented, and extending the same to the States of Ohio and Illinois, 

 were made by other members. 



Some suggestions were next ofiered concerning the fertilizing pro- 

 perties of mica. These led to some remarks on the cause of the fertili- 

 zing powers of the green sand, the peroxide of iron, &,c., when it was 



Resolved, That the subject of mineral manures be open for discus- 

 sion at the next meeting, and that the members be requested to note 

 all such facts as may contribute to its elucidation. 



Professor Silliman was then unanimously elected chairman for the 

 next meeting, and the present chairman was requested to open that 

 meeting with an address. 



The Secretary was requested to prepare an abstract of the proceed- 

 ings of this session of the Association, for publication in the Ameri- 

 can Journal of Science, and in the Journal of the Franklin Institute; 

 when after the usual resolutions of thanks, the Association adjourned 

 to meet in Philadelphia on the first Monday in April, 1841. 



18. Fossil Infusoria of West Point, New York — These deposi- 

 tions, which are now known to be of common occurrence in many 

 parts of the country, were first detected in North America by Profes- 

 sor Bailey, of the United States Military Academy, who has noticed 

 them in Vol. xxxv, p. 118, of this Journal. A small portion of the 

 earth from West Point, which is composed in a great degree of these 

 minutest of fossils, reached Prof. Ehrenberg about a year since, and 

 is noticed by him in the Account of the Proceedings, dfc. of the 



