TACONIC SYSTEM. 
435 
but not really, to plunge under the limestone. This locality is on Mr, Worster Wheeler’s 
farm, about one and a half miles southeast of the village of Northeast. The limestone is a 
grey variegated granular limestone, that would make a beautiful clouded marble. About one 
mile northwest of Mr. Wheeler’s, well characterized mica slate was observed in the hill on 
the east, and talco-argillaceous slate on the west side of the road. About half a mile farther 
west, he observed a ridge of limestone dipping to the west.* 
About one and a half miles northwest of Northeast village, near a small stream, the talcose 
slate and limestone were observed to alternate twice. The actual junction, where the rocks 
were firmly cemented together, was observed in one place. A similar junction of the talcose 
slate and limestone was observed in Northeast, where, the road crosses the outlet of Indian 
pond, 
A few rods east and southeast of the Amenia ore bed, the slaty limestone is seen super¬ 
posed on the talcy slate, as is represented on Plate 23, fig. 2, at (d) and (e). 
On the summit of the mountain in Northeast, where the Sharon road intersects that from 
Amenia to Pineplains, the rock is slightly talcy. Soon after leaving the base of the moun¬ 
tain, the limestone was observed to be abundant. On the eastern side of the mountain, it alter¬ 
nates with the slate, which is variable in character, in some places being talcy, in others like 
roof slate. ' 
Nearly opposite the Episcopal church, half a mile north of Lithgow post-office in Wash¬ 
ington, the sparry limestone was observed several rods in width, dipping to the east, and 
ranging S. 30° W. At the “ City,” in the northwest part of Amenia, the rock is talco-argil¬ 
laceous slate ; and about one hundred rods to the west of this place is an old mine hole, re¬ 
puted to be a copper mine ; but Prof. Cassels reported, that the copper ore, if any had been 
obtained there, must have been in very small quantity. The excavation is in the talco-argil¬ 
laceous slate, traversed by veins of milky quartz. 
Pineplains is situated on the quaternary, and underlaid by the slate rocks ; but the sparry 
limestone forms a ridge called Mill hill, a little east of the village; and this rock is the pre¬ 
vailing one, alternating, however, with slate, for three to three and a half miles east towards 
the Salisbury ore bed. It is succeeded by the slate of Winchell’s mountain, which is talco- 
argillaceous, and in some places micaceous. This mountain separates Pineplains on the east 
from the township of Northeast. A stream sinks in the limestone near the junction of these 
rocks, and has been already described on p. 112 of this volume. The slate dips to the east 
at a high angle. Limestone succeeds the slate for a short distance a little east of Pulver’s 
corners, and alternates several times between that place and the Salisbury ore bed ; but the 
most important are at Spencer’s corners, and at the brook by the line between New-York and 
Connecticut, on the turnpike. The slate of Winchell’s mountain is very fissile, talcy, mica¬ 
ceous and argillaceous, frequently colored, and more or less loaded with plumbago. 
* It is to be understood, that where the dip is not mentioned in describing the rooks between the Hudson and east line of 
New-York, it is to the eastward, generally to the east-southeast, at high angles. 
