ORES OF THE CHAMPLAIN, TACONIC AND METAMORPHIC ROCKS. 
495 
1. Earthy yellow ore. 
2. Compact brown iron ore. 
3. Glazed compact brown iron ore, like japan, in the interior of geodes. 
4. Velvety ditto, from incipient crystallization. 
5. Specular ditto, with a surface like burnished steel. 
6. Iridescent ditto, with beautiful colors. 
7. Stalactitical, in which the stalactites are elongated and pointed like a needle, extremely delicate 
and beautiful, from the size of a needle to one-eighth of an inch in diameter. 
'8. Botryoidal and'mammillary forms, both of the brilliant hematite and earthy form of this 
mineral. 
9. Ligniform ‘or fibrous hematite. 
10. Spongiform, arborescent, moss-form, columnar, reticulated, and various other undescribed 
imitative forms. This bed is a treat to the mineralogist. 
Prof. Merrick examined one point of evidence having a bearing upon the period at which 
the ore was formed. He observed at the Amenia ore bed, and afterward at others, that the 
stalactites of the hematite hung down vertically in the cavities of the ore in the ore bed, and 
never found them hanging at any other angle to the horizon, except in one instance, and that 
he thought, from what he saw, was local, and due to a slide in the bank where it was observed. 
The rocks are highly inclined in the immediate vicinity of all the ore beds of this kind of ore, 
so far as I have observed in New-York,. Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont. This fact 
would show conclusively, I think, that the stalactites found in the ore have been formed since 
the inclination of the contiguous rocks.* 
Indian-pond ore hed. The Tndian-pond ore bed lies in the edge of Connecticut, between 
Salisbury and Sharon, and about six miles northeast of Amenia. This bed has been described 
by Prof. Shepard.t It furnishes about two thousand tons of ore per annum. The limestone 
forms its west, and the micaceous slate its east boundary. The position of the strata is 
represented on Plate 23, fig. 1. 
Salisbury ore beds. The Salisbury, beds are five or six miles farther north. They are ex¬ 
tensively wrought (about five thousand tons per annum). They also have been described by 
Prof. Shepard.j; These ore beds are very near the line of New-York in Connecticut. 
* Prof. Beck’s analysis of ore from Amenia is as follows: “ A fragment of stalactites from this locality was found to 
have a specific gravity of 3.828 ; and to lose upon calcination 13. S’per centum-of its weight. The composition of this 
specimen will probably be a fair average of that of the pure hematitic variety from the various localities in this county. 
Analysis of Brown Hematite from the Amenia ore bed. 
Peroxide of iron,.82.90 
Silica and alumina,... 3.60 
■Water,.13.50 
Oxide of manganese,.trace. 
Proportion of metallic iron, 57-50 per cent.” 
t Report on the Mineralogy of Connecticut, 1837, p. 20. Jlbid. pp. 17, 19. 
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