470 Scientific Intelligence. 
rinciple adopted in 1842, that all his Taconic system, announced 
fore as unfossiliferous, was newer than this Black Slate, that is, 
newer than a foss iliferous rock. This, to his mind, was impossible; 
and he was thence led to think out a way by which aa s might 
dip xi nies yea still si ig be to the westward; and, without a 
fact argum to sustain it, he announced, in his 
Do cealiden! Hanott published in 1843, this as the true order, 
He thus, by a stroke of his pen, tipped over the Taeohiad system, 
and a ’the Black Slate to the ‘top, with all other Taconic rocks 
beneath it; and so, in his mind, it ever remained.* lack 
Slate, Tigerpolaced in 1843, thus ‘brought mischief to the Taconic 
system and to much American geolo Its introduction was 
an error, and a source of greater errors, ‘and it has been an occa 
sion of confusion in the science ever since. It soon followed that 
these black slates, including that of northern Vermont, so far 
> 
Thanks to yourself, the ee has rt 0 
vines gine and an appreciation of the fact that the addition 
0 i: Slates to the system was an error at the start, will 
Pocrkis te science from the rest of it. 
backeae in the Williamstown section, the only quartzite, that 
the 
e only way for geology to get out of the Reece perplexity 
4 vay ome a , where the original 
basis of the system is present ted by its author. The Williamstown 
section, figured on plate xi of this report, is, as I have said, fifteen 
* It is probable, from the facts stated by Professor Emmons and esi ob- 
ada by me elsewhere, that the Bald Mountain Black Slates are uncontfo: pee 
to the Taconie rocks. is point I propose soon to investiga ee 
the 
Graylock; and no fact has yet been brought ne that proves 
ere rete at Be western base of the Taconic range to be newer than the Stock- 
order of superposition. The slates of the Taconic range are certa rtainly not newer 
than those 
