PIKE COUNTY. , 617 
of this substance is found throughout the whole series. Spheroidal con- 
cretions—often quite symmetrical in form, and varying in size from an 
inch or two in diameter to five or six feet—abound in the middle portions 
of the series. At the centers of these concretions, as they occur to the 
northward in the State, very interesting remains of fossil fishes have 
been found; but the only fossils noticed in concretions here are of vege- 
table origin, and these are very rare. 
The shales are charged with a large amount of soluble matter, and 
as their texture sometimes allows a very free percolation of water, the 
springs that. issue from them are to a considerable extent mineral 
springs: Sulphureted hydrogen, compounds of iron, silica, lime, magne- 
sia, and soda are found in many of them. When the water holding these 
materials is evaporated, as it must be when oozing from the beds of shale 
in weak springs, these mineral contents are deposited in beds of traver- 
tine, sometimes of considerable extent. These travertines, so far as ex- 
amined, are all ochreous—sometimes, indeed, being so rich in iron as to 
constitute strong and excellent ores. The composition of two specimens 
is shown by the following analysis made by Prof. T. G. Wormley, Chem- | 
ist of the Survey. No. 1 is from Grassy Fork, No. 2, from Idaho: 
No. 1. No. 2. 
SUNCLOUSMAN ALE Tyee Med sete ce UM ccslsrscscceslestcestes wsvesrie’ erscecees 33.20 8.85 
SESqUO xd CVOlMINOME cone recscvesiracrcvettencens SiecesesslesSeceeccleerties se> 50.80 73.08 
TE iT CV Rey meee Nn an eee MC Caudle Galena elducaer dc huanatacslecsevedeetsss 1.10 1.30 
PIO ME STAM CAT WOMALCNieceseseltdesectsstsesieceeeson cuca sosserasess niece Se90008 0.23 0.53 
ANOS DWM OTIC AGT Aenean ered asses hee eatlecrcdeaecevellcck wenloceuseurseceescues 0.06 0.10 
Water, combined ............ eI ches ne en mana LUNI RSet CULL 14.45 16.00 
99.84 99.86 
ictal enon meee ei anrannUnN ONE Reba Y ad MON Gn) a 35.56 51.16 
There is every reason to believe that the amount of lime was originally 
much larger in the travertine. Atmospheric agencies would necessarily 
remove this element from all exposed portions of the deposit. The supply 
_ is too limited to make these beds of account in iron-making. As sources 
of ochre they promise better, but it is doubtful whether economical work- © 
ing of such capricious supplies can be effected even for this limited use. 
The points at which the ochreous tufas have been found to occur in 
largest quantity are on the Grassy Fork of Sunfish Creek, two miles 
above its mouth, and on a small tributary of Sunfish Creek that enters 
it quite near to Idaho. 
In the last named neighborhood a few fragmants of metallic antimony 
were found a few years since, and the discovery caused considerable local 
excitement. It is safe to say that the metal was dropped at the place 
