Association of American Geologists and Naturalists. 231 



Cleaveland on fossil shells, 1808. J. F, and S. L. Dana on the 

 mineralogy and geology of Boston and its vicinity, 1818. Jackson 

 and Alger on the mineralogy and geology of Nova Scotia, 1831. 



There are numerous geological notices in our medical journals, 

 especially in the Medical Repository of Mitchill and Miller, of 

 New York ; in the Proceedings of the Geological Society of Penn- 

 sylvania ; in the Physical Researches of Dr. Harlan ; the Contri- 

 butions of Mr. Lea ; the works of Yanuxem and Morton, espe- 

 cially in the distinct volume of the latter upon the chalk formation ; 

 and doubtless in many other works which we cannot recollect or 

 need not enumerate. 



Resuming my personal narrative, I returned to America in 

 June, 1806, and being anxious to compare the region of New 

 Haven with that of Edinburgh, I eagerly reviewed my own im- 

 mediate district. It is a fine region of trap rocks, with sand- 

 stones, through which the traps rise in bold ridges and peaks, 

 while in close proximity, are immense ranges of primary rocks, 

 amorphous and slaty. Of this region, on an area described by a 

 radius of five or six miles, I made a geological survey and a re- 

 port,* the imperfections of which may claim the more indulgence, 

 as it was, I believe, the earliest attempt, but one, of the kind in the 

 United States.f In the year 1799, a very brief mention is made 

 by Thomas P. Smith, in the Transactions of the Philosophical 

 Society of Philadelphia, (old series. Vol. 4, p. 445,) of some col- 

 umns of basalt in Pennsylvania, and in the year following my 

 report in the same records. M. Godon, a French geologist then 

 in this country, presented some minutes towards a geological 

 map of a part of Delaware, which I believe was never finished. 



In 1807, the year after my return, Mr. William Maclure passed 

 several days in examining the geology of the immediate vicinity 

 of New Haven, and I enjoyed the advantage of being with him 

 on that occasion. He was then engaged in that extensive tour 

 of observation which eventually covered the United States, Can- 

 ada, and the West Indies. Of these labors he communicated an 

 account to the Philosophical Society of Philadelphia in 1809, 



* To the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences. 



t At the meeting of the Association in Boston, Dr. Dana read the title of what 

 was probably the first geological report made on American geology, viz. — "Bey- 

 trage zur mineralogepfer Keintre und des Cestlicheu theils von Nord America und 

 sum GebUrsge von D. Johamre David Schopf." 



