216 Scientific Intelligence. 



son River beds, is covered to the north, not solely by the Niagara 

 limestone, as has been supposed, but to a large extent by tht 

 Lower Helderberg, and mainly the water-lime beds; andpasang 

 eastward from this area, the surface rocks are in succession, tk 

 Oriskany sandstone, Corniferous limestone, Hamilton group, the 

 Huron Shale or Genesee and Portage, the Waverly group bow 

 proved to be Subcarboniferous, and the Coal Measures, the last 

 mentioned covering nearly all of the eastern third of the state. 

 There is also, on the Lake shore, the Erie Shale, several hundred 

 feet thick, corresponding to the Chemung, a rock hitherto con- 

 founded with the Huron Shale. 



The Huron Shale, as first found by Mr. Hertzer, contains 

 fossil remains of fishes and wood inside of large concretions; and 

 one of the fishes, called the Binichthys Ilertzeri by Newbeiry, 

 had a head three feet long by two broad, with the jaws over two 

 feet in length and five inches deep ; the two jaws met in front to 

 form one great triangular tooth which interlocked with two id the 

 upper jaw seven inches long and more than three wide. . 



The discovery of the Subcarboniferous limestone in patches m 

 the state is announced by Prof. Andrews, of the Survey, at pag« 

 91 of this volume. The report of Prof. Andrews, which ejeit- 

 where shows careful research, relates to the eastern or Carbonii- 

 erous portion of the State, and contains special descriptions ottM 

 rocks and iron ore beds, with sections, lists of fos«Us, observatioM 

 on economical products, etc. - ... 



Among the most interesting results obtained are those ol J 

 chemist. Prof. Wormley, who has proved that the sulphur in " 

 coal is not all or mainly in the state of sulphid of iron, but m 

 of an organic sulphur compound. ,,.5. 



We cite the following from Prof. Andrews' Report, on pagei - 

 "All the authorities on the subject of coal have hitherto suppo^ 

 the sulphur to be chemically combined with iron in the orm " 

 bisulphide of iron {Fe82). Prof Dana, in his recent worfc on 

 eralogy, expresses a doubt in regard to this in the foUowingp 

 graph, page 756 : , be 



' Sulphur is present in nearly all coals. It is sapp<>^%^^ 

 usually combined with iron, and when the coal affords a re 

 on burning, there is reason for believing this true. p»-^ , j^; 

 mentions a coal from New Zealand which gave a pe^^^'^J^ sho*" 

 ash, although containing from 2 to 3 p. c. of sulphur, a i» ^^^^^t 

 mg that It is present not as a sulphide of iron, but as a co ^ 

 ot an organic compound. The discoveiy by Church oy/. f jring 



a coTistituent of other organic com,>ou,Hls'is quite poss'ble. f^ 

 By an examination of Prof AVormley's table of ^''^}^''^^^o^a\i 

 Lost Run coal, it will be seen that in no case i^^^ere ir ,^ 21. 

 in the coal to take up in combination all the sulphur. ^ ^^j{^ 

 the sulphur is 1-01 per cent. Adopting for the combma"" .^ 

 bisulphide of iron the proportion given by chemists, 



