No. 200.J 
347 
Fossil Bones. 
During the past summer, some bones of the mastadon, or elephant, 
have been found near Rochester, in excavating the Genesee Valley canal. 
The bones obtained were a part of one tusk, portions of three ribs, and 
a part of two vertebra, besides some fragments of other bones. Through 
the kindness of Messrs. Langworthy and Brooks of Rochester, and Mr. 
Dexter, engineer on the canal, I am enabled to place these bones in the 
State collection. 
I cannot leave this county without acknowledging my obligations to 
the gentlemen just named, and also to Prof. Dewey, Mr. Mills, civil 
engineer, to Mr. O'Reilly and Mr. Tucker, of Rochester. Many other 
gentlemen, in different parts of the county, have manifested a lively in- 
terest in the progress of the survey. 
LOCAL AND ECONOMICAL GEOLOGY. 
Orleans County. 
Surface of the Country. 
The most prominent character of Orleans, when compared with the 
adjoining counties, is a remarkable evenness of surface. Indeed, the 
whole county may be considered as nearly a level, and in traversing it 
at any part in an east or west direction, there is neither ascent nor de- 
scent of any consequence, nor any irregularity of the surface, except 
where the streams have worn down their present channels. This is es- 
pecially the character of all that part of the county north of the Erie 
canal, from which to Lake Ontario there is a gradual and almost imper- 
ceptible descent; the country presenting an uniform level face, with 
the exception of the ridge, on the summit of which passes the ridge 
road. The Erie canal is in this county at an elevation of 271 feet 
above the level of Lake Ontario, and its distance from the lake is be- 
tween eight and ten miles. 
The level surface continues south of the canal for about two miles, 
when we meet a sudden rise in the country; upon ascending which we 
arrive upon the limestone range. This rise bears the name of Maple 
ridge at Shelby, two miles south of Medina, and following the course 
of the canal, it is seen at Millsville; then going east it passes about two 
miles south of Albion, which distance it preserves for two and a half 
miles, when it gradually inclines northward and crosses the transit line 
at a road one and a quarter miles from the canal. Hence it continues 
east, and soon reaches Jefferson lake, of which it forms the southern 
shore. From this small lake it turns rapidly to the south, and reaches 
