GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY OF THE SCHOHARIE VALLEY 361 



fences and may be recognized by their color, crystal form and 

 great weight. The mineral was examined chemically by Dr V. J. 

 Chambers of Columbia University, who found it to be strontium 

 sulfate, with some barium sulfate admixed. From this analysis 

 it appears that the mineral is in reality barytocelestite. The 

 occurrence of this mineral on the north end of East hill was 

 noted by John Gebhard esq., 1 who speaks of it as a variety of 

 the strontianite. He describes the mass as " chiefly an aggre- 

 gation of crystals, and so slightly cohering as with difficulty 

 to be removed from its bed". 2 



Other minerals found in the waterlimes are fluorite, arag- 

 onite, satin spar and calcite in various crystal forms. 



Iron pyrites is an abundant mineral in the Schoharie region, 

 occurring everywhere in the Brayman shales. Crystals of the 

 pyritohedron or pentagonal dodecahedron are common but the 

 usual occurrence of the mineral is in globular masses made up 

 of small crystals, and in size varying up to that of a man's fist. 

 The mineral has been exploited to some extent for iron and 

 sulfur, and the exposure on the river bank above the Gebhard 

 residence is often referred to as the old iron mine. In the upper 

 beds of the Brayman shale at this place arsenical pyrites has 

 been found. 



Coal. By far the most hopeless of all the search after valuable 

 mineral deposits in this region has been that for coal, despite 

 the fact that ever since the geologic structure of the State 

 has been understood, it has become a common dictum that 

 search for coal in New York State was fruitless. Disregarding 

 the frequent warnings of the geologists^ expensive excavations 

 for coal have been repeatedly made. Mr Gebhard records the 

 fact that a hole was drilled early in the last century near the pyrite 

 mine in the vain search for coal in the Lower Siluric shales. 

 Within the last few years an opening has been made and a drill 

 hole put down, on the slope of South hill, less than a mile 



'On the Geology and Mineralogy of Schoharie, X. Y., by John Gebhard, 

 esq. Am. Jour. Set. 1835. 28:172. 

 2 Loc. cit. p. 173. 



