2 1 8 Miscellaneous Notices of Mineral Localities, $e, 



what celebrated in this region. It consists of schistose ac- 

 tynolite, or of actynolite and quartz, with the addition some- 

 times of mica. It forms beds in gneiss ; which is exactly 

 the situation in which Dr. M. found it. If actynolite be 

 considered a mere variety of hornblende, then ought this 

 rock to be regarded as a variety of hornblende slate. It 

 has not before, I believe been indentified in this country. 



August. — Visited the place in South Hadley, where some 

 agents of Mr. Disbrow had been boring for coal. They had 

 selected a spot on the bank of a small stream, a few feet 

 above the water, near which were seen alternating strata of 

 shale and sandstone ; and in the sandstone were thin massea 

 of very fine bituminous coal, having almost the brilliancy of 

 jet. The workmen had abandoned the exploration, though 

 their instruments and the pyramidal edifice they had erected 

 over the spot still remained. No one whom I saw, was able 

 to communicate many circumstances of interest relating to 

 the work. They penetrated, I believe, nearly one hundred 

 and forty feet, and it was said, passed through one or two 

 beds of coal several inches thick. When they had penetra- 

 ted about sixty feet, they opened a vein of water, and it 

 rose to the top and continued to pour over the surface with 

 considerable force, in a stream two or three inches in diameter. 

 I passed the spot several weeks afterwards, when the house 

 was removed, and a tube inserted into the opening, through 

 which the water was issuing as rapidly and abundantly as at 

 first. The spot is more than two miles north of the village 

 of South Hadley, almost at the foot of Mount Holyoke. 



Mount Holyoke, — On the south side of the most northern 

 foot path Leading to the top of this pinnacle, about two 

 hundred feet below the summit, I have lately found the 

 sandstone of the coal formation cropping out most distinct- 

 ly beneath the greenstone. Such instances are quite rare 

 in the northern part of the trap ranges of the Connecticut. 



September 4. — Southampton. The well known vein of 

 galena in this town, appears also, about half a mile north 

 of the principal adit, and has been explored to a considera- 

 ble depth. It is seen on the north side of the road, on a 

 steep hill about half a mile east of Kingsley's tavern. This 

 spot is a good locality of yellow foliated blende and radia- 

 ted quartz, and better specimens may here be found than 

 at the principal adit. Mica slate here appears to form the 

 walls of the vein. 



