SERPENTINE AT EASTON 425 



rival the famous Connemara quarries of Ireland and excite the 

 wonder of men of lifelong experience in the quarrying of decora- 

 tive stones. One variation of this phlogopite serpentine is ex- 

 citing considerable interest among architects. It consists of 

 numerous rose-colored dolomite crystals scattered in masses of 

 seipentine, which mixture when sawn and polished presents a 

 most exquisitely beautiful combination of colors. This particular 

 variety has been called *' Verdolite " (Contraction of Verd-antique 

 and dolomite), by Mr. William B. Read, president of the com- 

 pany now owning the quarries. This company, known as *' The 

 Verdolite Company," was formed for the purpose of purchasing 

 and operating the quarries lying in the northern half of the 

 granite area on the southeast slope of Chestnut Hill ridge and 

 designated on the sketch map (Plate XVI.) as quarries No. 2, 

 3 and 4. These are the important quarries of the region. From 

 No. 3 (Richard's quarry so called) is taken the best quality of 

 serpentine. This quarry is directly on the highway and within 

 two miles of the Lehigh Valley R. R. station. Between 3 and 

 4, a few hundred feet up the hill lie heavy ledges of verdolite and 

 two or three hundred feet farther takes one into quarry No. 4 

 (known as Williams' quarry). This last named quarry has been 

 excavated in a nearly pure tremolite rock which lies in heavy 

 beds nearly 50 feet thick and dipping south under granite, which 

 constitutes the hanging wall and lying on granite and gneiss to 

 the northward. Evidently this rock has been faltered into its 

 present position by thrusts from the south. The shearing to 

 which it has been subjected has partially altered the tremolite to 

 talc along the shearing planes, which rock has for years been 

 quarried and ground for commercial purposes. Scattered through 

 this finely crystalline, sometimes massive white tremolite rock^ 

 are seams and irregular aggregations of what was originally 

 phlogopite or pyroxene, now altered thoroughly to a beautiful 

 apple-green serpentine (Williamsite) which contrasts beautifully 

 with the white tremolite. The relation of the tremolite to the 

 serpentine and verdolite, in fact the relation and occurrence of all 

 of the rocks under discussion, can be seen in Fig. 5 which is 

 constructed along section line II. From fault line AB are given 

 Annals N. Y. Acad. Sci., XIII, Feb. 12, 1901 — 28 



