222 Miscellaneous Notices of Mineral Localities, fyt. 



my examination of its crystalline form and some other char- 

 acters. At present I regard this mineral as constituting a 

 new species, of which I propose at a future day to give a 

 particular account. Yours very truly, 



C. U. Shepard. 



Sept. 6. — The view from Blandford meeting house, is most 

 commanding and extensive. We could see several points of 

 interest in the valley of the Connecticut, and in all other di- 

 rections the horizon was very distant. 



From Norwich to West Granville we passed nearly in the 

 direction of the rock strata. The prevailing rock is mica 

 slate, sometimes passing into talcose slate, and in Granville, 

 alternating with hornblende slate, containing numerous small 

 crystals of hornblende. These slate rocks were frequently 

 intersected by granite veins and protruding masses. Some 

 of these were interesting to the geologist ; but I have not 

 now time to enter into any details. If life and leisure be 

 granted me to collect together a sufficient number of facts, 

 relating to the granite of New England, to justify any gener- 

 alizations, I shall offer the result to your journal. I will here 

 only remark, that rarely, if ever, do I meet with a granite bed 

 in the strict sense of that term ; but in nearly every instance, 

 a little careful examination shows that the granite mass con- 

 tinues precisely parallel with the including strata, only a 

 short distance, and then crosses the strata more or less ob- 

 liquely. 



In West Granville, one or two miles south east of the 

 meeting house, occurs a bed of very good soapstone. We 

 saw a specimen, but did not visit the spot. 



From Granville we proceeded westerly across the strata to 

 Tolland, the next town. Mica slate was the prevailing rock 

 for about two miles, when we came to a region containing 

 immense quantities of hornblende rock, scattered in large 

 and small bowlders over the surface. In most instances, the 

 hornblende was nearly pure, occurring in laminated masses, 

 very much larger than I have seen elsewhere. I noticed 

 some of them from twelve to fifteen inches in length, and 

 one inch and a half broad. Not unfrequently there was 

 nearly an equal admixture of feldspar, constituting a mag- 

 nificent sienite ; some of which, was beautifully porphyritic. 

 This hornblende is black, and easily fuses before the blow- 

 pipe — a proof that it is not augite. I have no question that 



