292 jAsSEMBt.l 
the greater part of Monroe counties, as well as in Seneca and Ontario; 
and from this fact, a principal member of the series, the red shale, has 
been overlooked. But after knowing the character of this rock, from 
examining other localities, we find evidence of its existence along the 
northern part of this formation from the colour of the soil; but after 
much careful examination, I have not found a point between the Cayuga 
lake and Genesee river, where that rock is exposed. Near King's cor- 
ners, in the town of Butler, Wayne county, the soil for some distance 
along the road is of a deep red colour, owing to the proximity of the 
red shale: farther west the line of this rock is covered by deep alluvium; 
in many places coloured by the red shale. 
The quarries before mentioned, below Seneca falls, are extensively 
wrought, and large quantities of the plaster sent westward on the Erie 
canal, and southward up the Seneca lake, and thence by the Chemung 
canal; thus distributed over the counties of Chemung and Steuben. I 
have not been able, accurately, to ascertain the quantity of plaster an- 
nually taken from these beds, but believe it to be 5,000 or 6,000 tons. 
A small proportion only of the vast quantity has been removed, and at 
the present rate of consumption, it will be long before these beds are 
exhausted. 
That portion of the county south of the outlet and north of the turn- 
pike leadmg to Cayuga bridge, is probably underlaid by plaster, and the 
working of the beds on that side of the outlet will gradually lead to its 
development. 
Above the gypsum, at this place, is a compact marl, containing small 
masses of granular gypsum or selenite, which often appear to have crys- 
tallized in the fissures and seams; these being generally separated, and 
the marl held together by the crytallized mass of plaster. The action 
of crystallization in this case appears to have taken place after the rock 
had become partially indurated; and the indurated part of the marl in 
many places is filled with irregular cavities, lined with crystalline carbo- 
nate of lime. This appearance may have occurred from the rock, having 
been broken up after partial induration, and have formed with the gyp- 
sum, then in solution, a kind of conglomerate, as is seen in some rocks 
below this. 
The soft gypseous marl, surrounding the beds of gypsum, could be 
very advantageously employed on the sandy soils north of Seneca falls, 
and west, towards Waterloo. The argillaceous matter of the marl 
would form with the sand a soil of proper consistence; while the calca- 
