176 
GEOLOGY OF THE THIRD DISTRICT. 
of these plants must have been over two feet in length, and two or three inches in width. 
They all show a conversion of their vegetable material to coal, but in few instances exceed¬ 
ing one-fifth of an inch in thickness. Similar plants are also found to the east of Ithaca, on 
the road to Dryden; at the quarries near Homer, where they are tolerably numerous; at 
Derby and Miller’s quarry in the town of Truxton, and in many other localities. Fragments 
have occasionally been met with, showing that their form was spear-shaped or lanceolate. 
Specimens from all these localities are in the State Collection, and also a more interesting 
one from a quarry near Truxton corners. It somewhat resembles a reaping hook in shape, 
being falciform, about eight inches long, the surface covered with small deep and round punc- 
tations, not, however, well defined, owing to a defect in that part of the specimen. 
With respect to the geographical distribution of this group, there did not appear to be much 
difficulty in tracing its boundaries upon the map through some of the counties east of Cayuga 
lake, when connecting it with the group below; commencing upon the top of the Genesee 
slate, and limiting the upper part to where the common fossils of the Chemung group appear. 
As no present advantage would be gained in noting the line of division, and as the whole are 
also connected together on the map, a few localities only will be noticed of this lower part 
of the Erie division, and with reference mainly to the Cauda-galli fucoids, this being the third 
position of these highly curious fossils in the New-York system. They are here well defined, 
and more extraordinary in shape than in their lower positions. 
There are two localities where these fucoids were found to be quite numerous, and 
extremely well preserved. The first going east from Cayuga lake, is to the southeast of De 
Ruyter village, at Burdick’s quarry on the hill, near the foot of which the Genesee slate is 
seen, covering the valley. The fucoids are met with over a considerable extent of surface 
around the quarry, and along the road towards Smyrna. The greater number are of the kind 
which have been compared by Dr. Locke of Ohio, to the folds of a curtain; he also having 
found them in that State, in the Waverly sandstone. An appropriate name would be Fucoides 
velum, or Curtain fucoid, as was, I believe, suggested by him. The figure given below in 
wood-cut 47 is altogether of a different kind, as is evident from its shape. It is from the same 
quarry; and in its form, it resembles a chemical retort. The specimen shows something 
like three systems of confluent raised surfaces, composed of rounded ridges, proceeding in 
curved lines from a point which is raised, as if they had been projected from a common centre, 
the three systems having united together, and terminating no doubt in a point which was 
broken off. These fossil bodies are difficult to represent without some practice, for which 
there was not time, wishing to complete the Report by a specified period. 
