228 
[Assembly 
This formation occupies the county of Delaware, and by far the 
largest portions of the counties of Sullivan, Ulster, Greene and Scho- 
harie. Seams and layers of pure anthracite have been observed in some 
places, and fossil plants similar to those of the coal beds of Carbondale 
have been found, not only in the shales associated with the anthracite, 
but also abundantly in the grits and slaty sandstones of the middle and 
upper parts of the series. These strata are all, perhaps, below the coal 
bearing rocks of Pennsylvania, and it is not considered probable that 
coal will be found in useful quantity in them ; still, some parts of the 
upper portions bear so much resemblance to the anthracite coal rocks 
of Pennsylvania, both in mineralogical character and fossil remains, that 
it is thought possible, that coal beds of workable thickness may be dis- 
covered. 
The Catskill mountain group is exceedingly barren of useful mine- 
rals. 
Small quantities of copper, lead, zinc and iron ores were seen exten- 
sively diffused in a particular stratum of rock, in various parts of Greene, 
Ulster, Sullivan and Delaware counties, but the stratum was nowhere 
more than eighteen inches thick. It was generally a calcareous con- 
glomerate or breccia, formed of small masses of limestone, imbedded in 
a reddish or brownish paste of the underlaying shale bed.* Sometimes 
the rounded nodules are of carbonate of iron, and more rarely of galena, 
blende, sulphuret of copper, and the green and blue carbonates of cop- 
per. Black oxide of manganese in a earthy form was also seen. This 
siratum, although thin, seems to be co-extensive with the formation in 
which it was observed. The underlaying shales, and the overlaying 
slaty grits, frequently abound with vegetable impressions, the original 
vegetable matter of which is sometimes converted into anthracite, and 
sometimes replaced by blende, oxide of iron, black oxide of manganese, 
black sulphuret of copper, or by the blue or green carbonate of copper. 
Although these materials were observed in several places, as in Frank- 
lin, Delhi, Roxbury, Windham, Durham, Monticello, &c. yet, no lo- 
* This stratum when exposed to the weather becomes more or less porous and cellu- 
lar, from the solvent action of the water upon the calcareous ingredient. Considerable 
quantities of it are seen scattered over the fields, and it has acquired the name ofjire- 
itone in some of these counties, in consequence of its resisting the effects of common 
fires, not cracking to pieces. Almost all the common grits of the country, when heat- 
ed, burst to pieces with loud explosions, or else exfoliate and crumble by heat. 
