and Volcanic Substances. 239 
Were those climates warmer formerly ? Has the surface 
eradually cooled? Will it account for the supposed in- 
crease of cold in European summers? Or for the supposed 
accumulation of ice in the Alps, or in the polar regions ? 
Of the volcanic region in the United States. 
Hitherto it has generally been believed that there is no 
evidence of volcanic action or volcanic ejection in the United 
States. Iam persuaded otherwise ; as may be supposed 
from my ranking the floetz trap formation, among the rocks 
of igneous origin. 
I have seen decided specimens of igneous rocks from the 
Mandan village, but I suspect them as pseudo-volcanic. 
We have heard also of volcanoes in the western country 
toward the commencement of the barren that reaches to the 
stony mountains. Of all this, I know nothing. 
I possess compact and figurate pentagonal basalt, with 
and without pores filled with the carbonat of lime, froin 
Mount Holyoke in Massachusetts. I have never been 
there: but my collection of volcanic matter from various 
countries is pretty extensive ; and I have no doubt on the 
subject of this being a real volcanic ejection, if Basalt and 
Whin be so. 
No person accustomed to volcanic specimens can look at 
the porphyries from the neighbourhood of Boston, in my 
possession, and doubt of their volcanic origin, 
According to the description of Prof. Silliman, in his inter- 
esting travels to Canada, the fleetz trap formation described 
by him as covering the red sand stone through Connecticut, 
is also voleanic.* So is the basaltic region described by Mr. 
Eaton, extending in fact from Deerfield in Massachusetts, 
to New Haven in Connecticut. The basalt, greenstone, 
and amygdaloid, cover the old redsandstone. At Pine rock 
in Connecticut, Prof. Silliman found Zeolite; and Mr. Eaton 
dark brown Augit: indications, I should suppose, sufficient- 
_ly decisive of volcanic origin. Indeed, Mr. Katon asks the 
question, Are basalt and greenstone trap of volcanic origin? 
(p. 258.) Tshould venture to say yes: they are. 
From the neighbourhood of New Haven and Woodbury 
in Connecticut, 1 possess many specimens of flcetz trap 
with imbedded prehnite. The volcanic region, therefore, 
* That is, the facts stated in the work quoted in the text do, in Dr. Coop- 
er’s opinion, justify this conclusion—no opinion on this point is expressed im 
the tour to Quebec.—Ed. 
