CHAPTER   VIII, 
GENERAL  SUCCESSIONS  AND  DISCUSSIONS  OF  PRINCIPLES. 
SECTION  I.      LITERATURE. 
Maclure,1  in  1809,  places  in  the  primitive  rocks  granite,  gneiss, 
mica-slate,  clay-slate,  primitive  limestone,  primitive  trap,  serpentine, 
porphyry,  syenite,  topaz  rock,  qnartz  rock,  primitive  flinty  slate,  prim- 
itive gypsum,  white  stone;  and  in  the  Transition,  transition  limestone, 
transition  trap,  graywacke,  transition  flinty-slate,  transition  gypsum. 
The  rocks  of  the  Primitive  prevail  to  the  east  of  the  Hudson  river. 
Throughout  the  greater  part  of  the  eastern  and  northern  states  the 
sea  washes  the  primitive  rock,  but  to  the  south  west  ward  the  Primitive 
runs  in  a  broad  belt  as  far  as  Alabama,  and  between  it  and  the  ocean 
is  a  wide  belt  of  alluvial  rocks.  The  Transition  rocks  occur  in  one  main 
belt,  running  in  a  northeast  and  southwest  direction  from  New  York 
to  Alabama,  and  in  several  minor  belts. 
Eaton,2  in  1832,  places  as  Primitive  rocks  granite,  mica-slate,  horn- 
blende rock,  talcose  rock,  granular  quartz,  granular  lime  rock.  These 
primitive  rocks  are  all  contemporaneous,  excepting  the  granular  quartz 
and  lime  rocks,  since  they  alternate  continually.  These  rocks  are  des- 
titute of  organized  remains.  Numerous  localities  are  given  for  each 
class. 
Emmons,  (E.),3  in  1855,  divides  rocks  into  Pyrocrystalline,  Pyroplas- 
tic,  and  Hydroplastic. 
The  Pyrocrystalline  comprises  massive  rocks,  including  granite,  syen- 
ite, hypersthene,  pyrocrystalline  limestone,  serpentine,  rensselaerite, 
octahedral  iron  ore,  and  laminated  rocks,  including  gneiss,  mica-slate, 
hornblende,  talcose-slate,  etc.,  laminated  limestone,  laminated  serpen- 
tine. The  Pyroplastic  rocks  comprise  Subaerial,  including  lavas,  tufa, 
or  volcanic  products,  and  Submarine,  including  greenstone,  porphyry, 
basalt,  trap.  The  Hydroplastic  rocks  comprise  Paleozoic,  Mesozoic, 
and  Cenozoic.  The  Paleozoic  is  divided  from  the  base  upward  into 
Taconic,  Silurian,  Devonian,  Carboniferous,  and  Permian.  Metamor- 
phic  or  Azoic  rocks  are  not  recognized  as  classes,  as  they  may  occur  in 
all  series  from  the  earliest  to  the  latest  sediments.  That  gneiss,  mica- 
slate,  hornblende,  and  talcose  slate,  etc.,  are  metamorphic  altered  sedi- 
ments there  is  no  evidence.  Azoic  is  objectionable  because  it  presup- 
poses that  our  observations  have  made  certain  that  which  must  ever 
remain  doubtful. 
The  Pyrocrystalline  rocks  are  due  to  the  consolidation  of  the  earth's 
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