90 
[Assembly 
These occurrences, moreover, are repeated in other parts of this 
county. 
Near the central part of Staten-Island there are several important 
beds of hematitic iron ore, w^hich are used at some distant furnaces, 
and are said to yield iron of a good quality. And the hill v^rhich forms 
the spine of the county contains many localities of ferruginous quartz, 
which in some cases passes into calcedony. 
Near Rossville, there is a stratum of lignite associated v^^ith iron 
pyrites of a brilliant metallic lustre w^hen first obtained, but v^rhich is 
lost upon exposure to the air. 
Thin plates of feldspar and crystals of quartz occur at the so called 
granite quarry, near Merserole's ferry. As this rock is entirely simi- 
lar to that of Bergen Hill, in New- Jersey, it is not improbable that 
should the quarrying be continued, the greenstone minerals will be 
found here in place as they have already been in bowlders. 
I will add only that peat is said to be abundant in this county, and 
that it contains a chalybeate spring which is, however, of little impor- 
tance. 
ROCKLAND COUNTY. 
This county forms a part of the boundary between New- York and 
New-Jersey, and was particularly examined during the last season, for 
the purpose of ascertaining whether it contained the interesting mine- 
rals found in the trappean ranges of the latter State. The result has 
confirmed the opinion w^hich I have entertained, that this was the case, 
and the catalogue of our minerals will now include many species which 
have hitherto been found only in loose masses, of doubtful origin. The 
best locality for studying these minerals in the county of Rockland, and 
of comparing them with those of Bergen Hill and Paterson, is at Tap- 
pan Slote, where excavations for the termination of the Erie rail-road 
have for some time been actively prosecuted. Although the specimens 
seldom possess the beauty of those from the New-Jersey localities, 
they are sufiiciently well characterized. 
The minerals noticed here, and in other parts of the Palissado range, 
are as follows : 
