Notice of a Locality of Zeolites. 69 



Art. VI. — Notice of a Locality of Zeolites, dfc, at Bergen, Ber- 

 gen County, New Jersey ; by William Oland Bourne, of 



New York. 



Bergen Hill is the southern extremity of that long perpen- 

 dicular ledge of greenstone rocks, which, rising to a considerable 

 elevation on the western side of the Hudson river, is known as 

 the Palisadoes, and occupies a large section of that part of the 

 country. The formation here is similar to that at Paterson, from 

 which the datholite, &c. were obtained some years since. Dr. 

 Beck, while engaged in surveying Rockland county, N. Y., observ- 

 ed the minerals of the zeolite family at a number of localities, and 

 mentions one at Tappan Slote, from which he obtained stellite, 

 apophyllite, stilbite, &c., inferior, however, to the New Jersey 

 minerals in beauty, although " they are sufficiently well charac- 

 terized." 



In the early part of 1832, the New Jersey Rail Road Company 

 began their excavations at Bergen Hill, which, however, at first 

 revealed nothing to attract the attention of mineralogists, as the 

 principal veins occur in the middle of the cut, which is levelled 

 to about thirty feet from the surface in its deepest part, and is 

 from twenty to thirty feet wide at the bottom. In numbering 

 the localities, I have begun at the end which is entered on pro- 

 ceeding from Jersey City, and about two miles from the ferry.* 



My first visit to this place was on September 6th, 1837, and 

 having repeatedly visited it since, I have reason to believe that 

 the collection in my possession is more extensive than any other 

 from this locality, and I shall accordingly make out my catalogue 

 of the minerals of this region from my own suite of specimens. 



The first locality, or No. 1, on the south side of the cut, and 

 about one hundred yards from the end, is a vein of carb. lime, 

 with which stilbite is associated, chiefly coating cavities of the 

 limestone. It is about an inch and a half in thickness, and runs 

 up the side of the cliff, but is so imbedded as to defy any attempt 

 to remove it with the hammer and chisel. That part from which 

 the specimens were taken is low, and partly covered with stones 

 and loose soil, and was completely worked out. 



* The numbers refer merely to the order of description, and not to any guide- 

 marks on the route. 



