No. 200. J 
281 
likewise, which are exceedingly remarkable from their abundance, and for 
the first time in the series we have many species of pterinea. All these 
fossils, though they occur in myriads, ceased in Oswego with this mass, 
neither the gray nor the red sandstone exhibiting one, that we could 
discover, nor any other organic remains than fucoides. 
Both the red and gray sandstone in Oswego county, present very lit- 
tle variety; comparatively the red is more loose and less compact or 
hard than the green. Both these rocks appear to stand weathering. 
At the falls of Salmon river, which are composed of the green, there is 
little exhibition of decay. The same remark applies to both rocks at 
Oswego; so also of the red at Fulton, and of other localities. 
In every locality where the red and gray sandstone come together, it 
is very evident from the green spots in the red, giving it a mottled ap- 
pearance, and from other like characteristic markings at the junction of 
the two rocks, that the colour has been owing to the infiltration of iron, 
which has been arrested by the gray rock. Although originally one 
mass, yet in a practical point of view, it is highly expedient to separate 
them. From the red sandstone, admitting of percolation, it is not sur- 
prising that this rock should be the geological location of the brine 
springs to the west. 
The surface distribution of the gray and red sandstone is as well de- 
fined as their colour, with the exception of a small strip of red sand- 
stone, which commences about four miles above the village of Redfield, 
and pursues a northeast course through the town towards Lewis county. 
The whole of this rock is confined to the south and west of a line, 
which commences on Little river in Oneida county, passes northwest by 
Squire Parks' mill dam, thence near to Amboy Centre, and by a slightly 
curved line to Mexicoville and Butterfly post-office, and from the latter 
village it passes by an east and west line to Oswego. At this latter 
place the two rocks are finely exhibited, the green at a lower level upon 
the shore of the lake, on both sides of the outlet, the red upon the banks 
of the river. 
Within the area of the red sandstone, two attempts were made at 
boring for salt water, one on the land of George G. Grizzle, in the town 
of Palermo. The digging and boring w^ere about 10 feet in depth. 
The water yielded half a pound of salt to a gallon of water. The salt 
was described as having a sharper taste than common salt, No opinion 
of the water could be formed at the time I was there, in consequence of 
an adjoining brook overflowing it. 
[Assem. No. 200.] 32 
