﻿78 
  [Senate 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  communication 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Grant 
  describes 
  the 
  local- 
  

   ity, 
  &c., 
  where 
  the 
  concretions 
  were 
  obtained 
  : 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  concretions 
  I 
  forwarded 
  a 
  few 
  days 
  since, 
  for 
  the 
  State 
  

   Geological 
  Cabinet, 
  were 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  rock 
  excavations 
  for 
  the 
  

   Hudson 
  River 
  Railroad, 
  about 
  four 
  miles 
  north 
  of 
  Stuyvesant 
  

   (Kinderhook) 
  landing. 
  They 
  were 
  imbedded 
  in 
  the 
  rock 
  (the 
  

   common 
  black 
  shale 
  of 
  the 
  Hudson 
  river 
  group) 
  from 
  twelve 
  to 
  

   eighteen 
  feet 
  below 
  the 
  surface, 
  on 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  a 
  ledge, 
  and 
  were 
  

   loosened 
  and 
  partly 
  removed 
  by 
  a 
  blast. 
  The 
  rock 
  at 
  this 
  local- 
  

   ity 
  has 
  the 
  usual 
  dip 
  to 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  45° 
  or 
  more, 
  but 
  that 
  imme- 
  

   diately 
  surrounding 
  the 
  concretions 
  is 
  characterized 
  by 
  the 
  warp- 
  

   ed 
  and 
  tortuous 
  and 
  rather 
  loose 
  stratifications 
  frequently 
  seen 
  

   where 
  a 
  vertical 
  surface 
  for 
  any 
  distance 
  is 
  exposed. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  

   rather 
  moist, 
  and 
  fifteen 
  or 
  twenty 
  yards 
  distant 
  so 
  w^et 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  

   difficult 
  of 
  blasting. 
  

  

  I 
  was 
  not 
  present 
  when 
  these 
  specimens 
  were 
  first 
  exposed 
  ; 
  

   but, 
  on 
  careful 
  inquiry, 
  find 
  that 
  the 
  foreman 
  and 
  laborers 
  at 
  

   work 
  on 
  the 
  spot, 
  concur 
  in 
  saying 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  in 
  a 
  horizon- 
  

   tal 
  position, 
  resting 
  on 
  each 
  other, 
  the 
  largest 
  at 
  the 
  bottom, 
  and 
  

   tapering 
  upward 
  in 
  the 
  conical 
  form 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  were 
  packed 
  

   when 
  sent 
  to 
  the 
  Geological 
  rooms. 
  Whether 
  these 
  constitute 
  

   the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  series, 
  or 
  whether 
  they 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  se- 
  

   ries 
  or 
  not, 
  I 
  am 
  unable 
  to 
  say, 
  as 
  there 
  were 
  several 
  others, 
  

   numbering 
  in 
  all 
  perhaps 
  25 
  or 
  30, 
  thrown 
  out 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  

   by 
  blasts 
  that 
  were, 
  unfortunately, 
  broken, 
  and 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  frag- 
  

   ments 
  lost. 
  Whatever 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  number 
  in 
  the 
  series, 
  

   from 
  the 
  best 
  evidence 
  I 
  have, 
  they 
  were 
  placed 
  independent 
  of 
  

   the 
  stratifications 
  of 
  the 
  rock, 
  the 
  layers 
  neiirly 
  or 
  quite 
  horizon- 
  

   tal, 
  and 
  diminishing 
  symmetrically 
  in 
  size 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  to 
  the 
  

   top. 
  The 
  broken 
  pieces 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  obtained, 
  and 
  one 
  specimen 
  

   entire, 
  present 
  a 
  more 
  symmetrical 
  appearance 
  than 
  those 
  which 
  

   I 
  have 
  sent, 
  and 
  the 
  stem-like 
  formation 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  which 
  ap- 
  

   parently 
  connected 
  them 
  together, 
  is 
  more 
  clearly 
  marked. 
  

  

  As 
  these 
  are 
  the 
  first 
  concretions 
  of 
  the 
  kind 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  dis- 
  

   covered 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  several 
  years 
  experience 
  in 
  the 
  excava- 
  

  

  