6 
GEOLOGY OF THE FOURTH DISTRICT. 
I quote this, to show that Mr. Eaton was aware that the names and arrangement adopted 
in the systems of European authors did not apply to the rocks of New-York; and yet, most 
fatally, he attempted to apply that arrangement as far as possible, all the time supposing him¬ 
self to be investigating rocks of the same age, while in truth they were much older than any 
described by the authors quoted. This attempt to identify the rocks of New-York with the 
Secondary system of Europe, probably arose from the general belief that the older or Transi¬ 
tion strata were in a highly disturbed and altered condition, having undergone mutations by 
which nearly all the organic forms were obliterated. Thus when so great a range of undis¬ 
turbed strata, abounding with organic remains, was presented, as along the line of the Erie 
canal, it was quite natural to refer them to the secondary deposits ; indeed it required know¬ 
ledge, at that time not possessed in our country, to decide the true age and position of these 
rocks. 
In that work, nearly all the rocks of western New-York are enumerated in the order of suc¬ 
cession ; and, with some exceptions and omissions, the order is correct, and the subdivisions 
will always hold good in the science. It is a remarkable fact, that at this early period, Mr. 
Eaton should have recognized the sandstone of the Catskill mountains as the Old Red of 
Europe; which, now that we have identified its characteristic fossils, is proved to be true. 
Had he seized this grand idea, and confined himself to the elucidation of the strata below the 
Catskills, he would have brought to light the most interesting series of rocks yet known in 
any part of the globe. But in his examinations westward, the attempt to identify the Oneida 
conglomerate with the Coal conglomerate, and the sandstone bordering Lake Ontario with 
the New Red sandstone, gave rise to that distortion of the geology which has prevailed regard¬ 
ing the whole western portion of the State. The great source of error throughout seems to 
have been the prevailing desire to identify, within the limits of New-York, all the rocks and 
systems published in Europe from the Tertiary downwards. 
We cannot otherwise than regard it as a great misfortune that European systems were ever 
made a standard for our rocks, which should have been studied and described as they are, 
and as they always must remain the grandest development in the world, of the older fossili- 
ferous formations. 
Prof. Eaton had previously published his “ Index to the Geology of the Northern States,” 
in which he attempted to give a systematic classification of American rocks. He subse¬ 
quently published two editions of a geological text-book, with many modifications regarding 
arrangement, with which more recent observations do not concur. How far the rocks of the 
State were developed, and their relative position shown by his labors, will be seen when 
describing individual masses ; and in all cases, the names by which he designated them will 
be given among the synonymes, or adopted when applicable. 
Prof. Eaton, in connexion with Dr. T. R. Beck, afterwards made an agricultural survey of 
Albany county, in which all its mineral productions are described ; and with Dr. L. C. Beck, 
a similar survey of Rensselaer county. These labors led to the establishment of the Rens¬ 
selaer School, under the patronage of Mr. Van Rensselaer ; the objects of the Institution being 
