Miscellaneous Notices of Mineral Localities, fyc. 210 



Westhampton. — Noticed a bowlder of granite, so inter- 

 sected by veins of the same rock, as to exhibit granite of 

 four successive epochs: that is to say, the original bowl- 

 der must have been first formed ; a vein, intersecting it was 

 the second formation ; a second vein, cutting off the first, 

 was a third formation ; and a third vein, cutting off the se- 

 cond was a fourth formation. 



Norwich. — Went in search of the locality of beryl and 

 plumose mica, described in Robinson's catalogue of Mine- 

 rals, as " half a mile west from Pitcher's bridge, near a mass 

 of white rocks, to be seen from the bridge." No such 

 white rocks can be seen west of the bridge ; but a conspic- 

 uous protruding mass of granite appears on the hill directly 

 north. Concluding this to be the spot, we went to it : but 

 neither in it, nor near it, could we find more than one or 

 two crystals of beryl. But the prismatic mica is very abun- 

 dant and fine : Schorl also, in immense quantities, exists in 

 the rock, and very many of the prisms are terminated by 

 three sided pyramids, and I noticed a few nine sided prisms. 

 Some of the crystals are four inches in diameter. Plumose 

 mica also occurs at the same place though sparingly. 



September 5. — Having cause to suspect that beryls were 

 found in several of the granite beds and veins in the vicinity, 

 we proceeded up the river, (a branch of the Westfield,) 

 until we came to the last house on the road, where lived 

 one of those persons who profess to have a natural taste 

 for mineralogy, and to be acquainted with several most 

 valuable metallic veins in the vicinity, whose situation 

 they will not disclose. He undertook to conduct us to a lo- 

 cality of beryls -, and after leading us up a hill half a mile 

 in length, we came to a spot, near the north line of Norwich, 

 which was really interesting.* The rocks in all this region 

 are mica slate, with irregular protruding masses and veins 

 of granite ; and in this latter rock we not unfrequently found 

 beryls, but they were neither very fine, nor abundant. The 

 best had been dug out ; as some of the inhabitants in the vi- 

 cinity had ascertained that they were of some value. Other 

 interesting minerals, however, were found, which repaid us 

 for the fatigue of the excursion. 



Black schorl, in immense crystals, three or four inches in 

 diameter. 



* Large patches of ground in the fields around this spot were red with im- 

 mense quantities of that curious moss the Funaria hygrometrica. 



