162 



Scientific Geology. 



Ct. Also on Canaan mountain, 4 or 5 miles south of Massachusetts 

 line. 



On the conglomerate in the southeast part of Newport, R. Island, 

 may be seen diluvial scratches, running from 10 to 20 degrees west 

 of north and east of south. 



From what has been said concerning the distribution of bowlders 

 as we approach the western part of the State, we should expect that 

 these furrows would there have a direction nearly northwest and 

 southeast. Accordingly, near the turnpike from Greenfield to Wil- 

 liamstovvn, on the top of Hoosac mountain, which is about 2400 feet 

 above the sea, we find grooves on the mica slate, running W. 20° N. 

 This is near the eastern margin of the mountain. They occur, also, 

 near the western margin ; having nearly the same direction. In 

 the northwest part of Windsor, just where the Hoosac mountain be- 

 gins to slope westerly, I found grooves running nearly north and 

 south. But for 3 or 4 miles easterly from the meeting house are nu- 

 merous distinct cases where the course is almost exactly northwest 

 and southeast. 



In the west part of Worthington, which is several miles east of the 

 top of the mountain, these grooves run W. 30° N. But in Middle- 

 field, where they abound near the meeting house, and the residence 

 of Gen. Mack, they run much nearer north and south. On that part 

 of Saddle Mountain, called Bald Mountain, also, are faint scratches, 

 very difficult to examine on account of their coinciding so nearly 

 with the direction of the layers of the rock. But they run not far 

 from north and south. Gray Lock, which is several hundred feet 

 higher than Bald Mountain, is so covered with vegetable mould, that 

 I had no opportunity to discover diluvial furrows, if they exist there. 



In passing from Albany, N. Y. to West Stockbridge, Massachu- 

 setts, through Greenbush, Schoodack, Nassau, and Chatham, I met 

 with several examples of diluvial grooves upon the surface of the 

 gray wacke ; particularly in Schoodack and Nassau. Their direction 

 was almost uniformly N.W. and S.E. ; though sometimes approach- 

 ing a few degrees nearer to north and south. The surface of this 

 rock in general, especially of the slaty varieties, is too liable to de- 

 composition to retain for centuries the marks of former abrasions ; 

 and I was rather surprised to meet with any instances. Yet I am' 

 satisfied that some rocks retain these marks, although their surfaces 

 have suffered disintegration to a much greater depth than that of the 

 grooves. For since the disintegration takes place at the surface only, 



