Miscellaneous JVoiices in Mineralogy, Geology, ^^q. 243 



Immediately west of the road, is a narrow marsh thirty 

 or forty rods wide, at the western extremity of which, a 

 steep bank rises, perhaps twenty feet in height ; through this 

 bank at right angles to it, a chasm has been worn by a small 

 stream, to the level of the marsh adjoining. The banks of 

 the chasm thus formed, disclose a mass of loose earth of a 

 dusky white, exhibiting an appearance very much like that 

 of a bed of slacked lime, somewhat aluminous, when tritur- \ 

 ated between the fingers; it has a degree of lubricity; when 

 it is soaked by the water, it adheres to the shoes like com- 

 mon clay, difficult to rub off. 



In some places in the vicinity of the stream, where the 

 earth has been penetrated by the water, and dried again by 

 the action of the sun, the surface exhibits nodules of the 

 size of a walnut, minutely perforated, appearing like a very 

 compact moss, its organization also, like that of moss, be- 

 ing very easily destroyed, by compressing it with the thumb. 



Detached pieces are found, possessing a curious struc- 

 ture. At first it would seem that they were pieces of turf, 

 the roots of which had been incrusted with lime ; but the 

 whole is easily reduced to a fine white powder by tritura- 

 tion. In some cases this ramification is very minute and 

 very beautiful, in others it is coarser and very irregular. 

 Some exhibit the appearance of the incrustation of a lime- 

 stone cave, but without polish and very porous. 



This earth is very easily deprived of its carbonic acid, 

 and is converted into a finely pulverized quick-lime resem- 

 !ing wheat flour. 



The quantity must be considerable, as the whole bank 

 appears to be composed of it. J. R 



24. Virginia and Illinois jiuor spar. 



In Dr. Brace's MineralogicalJournal, Vol I. p. 79 there 

 is a notice of this Virginia fluor spar, communicated by the 

 late Professor Barton of Philadelphia. 



Through the kindness of the late Richard P.Barton, Esq. 

 of Virginia, and of his son, Mr. D. W. Barton a member 

 of Yale College, we last summer, received a box of this fluof 

 spar. Some circumstances may be mentioned in addition to, 

 or in illustration of Professor Barton's account. It appears 

 iMt '* the fluor spar is found at the foot of the north moun* 



