56 Petrified Wood of Antigua. 



road. The country is of the secondary trap formation, and the 

 rocks, at the particular place, are the old red sandstone of 

 Werner, which here occupies the plains, and runs under the 

 trap. The piece weighs almost six pounds ; it is fine virgin 

 copper, with rudiments of large octahedral crystals of native 

 copper upon its surface, which is more or less incrusted with 

 green carbonate of copper and ruby oxid, very much resem-* 

 bling that of Cornwall : the ruby oxid is particularly remark- 

 able in the cavities of the piece. 



As it was found within three or four miles of the place 

 where the large piece of ninety pounds weight was discovered, 

 and as copper is known to exist in many places in these hills, 

 the facts should be kept in view, and may lead to something of 

 importance. 



Art. VI. Petrified Wood from Antigua, 



jL he mineralogy and geology of the West-India islands has 

 been, as yet, but little explored. The scientific world has, 

 however, been favoured with some interesting articles from 

 the pen of Dr. Nugent ; and we are informed that he has de- 

 scribed also the geology of the island of Antigua. We have 

 .recently become acquainted with one interesting production of 

 this island, and without waiting for Dr. Nugent's account, 

 (which we believe has not yet reached this country) we shall 

 lay it before our readers. 



We are under obligations to Mr. Pelatiah Perit, of New- 

 York, for a collection of specimens of silicious petrifactions of 

 wood from Antigua. Their characters are indubitable ; the 

 distinct ligneous layers corresponding with the annual growth, 

 the medullary prolongations, the knots formed by branches,- 

 the cracks and the bark, are all distinctly visible. Some of 

 the pieces are ponderous portions of large trees. 



As to the mineralizing matter, it is evidently silicious, and 

 the specimens are principally the holzstein of Werner ; crys- 

 tals of quartz are apparent in the cavities ; some parts are 



