425 
Geology . 
Rhode Island, not having been there. But this last seems 
to border on primitive formations, under circumstances, 
which for want of knowledge, I cannot explain. 
The bituminous coal formation in Pennsylvania, exhi- 
bits its first trace as breaking out to the day, on the Ju- 
niata. The bed of the river at Ckingieclamoose, up the 
west branch of Susquehanna, is bituminous coal. It ex- 
tends from thence northward and westward throughout 
the whole of Pennsylvania. How far it extends on the 
Monongahela, Alleghany, and Ohio, I cannot say. The 
shell limestone extends up Sugar creek on the west side of 
the north east branch of Susqa. toward the heads of that 
creek, where it abounds so much in shells as to be fit for 
lime. All the stones about the Sheshequin abound in shells. 
This stratum I have traced downward (south westward) 
through Buffalo to Jacks 5 mountain, which is a mass of 
shell lime and calcareous Breccia. How far it extends in 
both directions I know not. 
I have observed that the Alpine heights of the primi- 
tive mountains could at no time furnish much vegetable 
food. The same remark, but in a less degree, will apply 
to the transition range. The low and kindly climates occu- 
pied by the secondary series — the soft and decomposable 
nature of these depositions would furnish the true theatre 
of vegetable life : and until these regions were filled with 
vegetables, the race of animals could not have been pro- 
duced ; for on what could they subsist ? Gramenivorous 
animals therefore must have succeeded the various forms 
of vegetable existence, and carnivorous the gramenivo- 
rous. 
The vegetable matter imbedded in the substance of the 
secondary strata, will consist of the remains of vegetables 
that grow on the transition strata ; and the animal remains 
will consist chiefly of such animals as were produced in 
early stages of animal existence, particularly the smaller 
