_East-Haven._ It will be observed, that the great ranges of
secondary greenstone, which cut Connecticut and Massachusetts in
two, terminate at New-Haven, on the one hand, and some way above
Deerfield on the other. By comparing the account of the termination
at New-Haven (Bruce's Journal, v. i. p. 139.) with that now
published, of the termination at or near Deerfield, it will be
seen that the geology and imbedded minerals are very similar. At
East-Haven, (one of the branches of the greenstone of New-Haven,
and within from three to four miles of the latter town,) chalcedony
is often found, sometimes imbedded in the trap, (but perhaps more
frequently loose among the fallen stones,) which, although in
small pieces, is as perfect in its characters as the chalcedony
of the Feroe Islands. It is of a delicate gray, translucent,
mamillary, botryoidal, stalactitical, or impressed by crystals of
quartz, which have usually fallen out; sometimes these crystals
incrust the chalcedony.
Agates also are found in considerable numbers, both imbedded and
loose. They usually consist of bands of chalcedony and quartz, and
sometimes of the latter only, variously striped or spotted, or
interlaced with jasper, carnelian, and cacholong.
The form of the imbedded agates at East-Haven is commonly ovoidal,
or egg-shaped, and frequently it is conical. Some portions of pure
chalcedony occur, which are shaped like a long, slender carrot
or parsnip, and the situation of the latter in the ground would
exactly represent that of the chalcedony or agate in the rock.
The imbedded masses are frequently altogether quartz, and then
they are most commonly geodes or hollow balls lined with crystals,
commonly very perfect and brilliant, although rarely large. These
crystals are commonly transparent and colourless--but they exhibit
also most of the varieties of colour which quartz assumes--the
amethyst--the smoky--yellow, &c., and occasionally they are tipped
and spotted with red jasper.
The spontaneous decay of these trap rocks causes many specimens to
be found among their ruins, and many more are imbedded in the solid
rock; but the industry of successive classes from the neighbouring
college, issuing from Col. Gibbs's cabinet, has now made specimens
more scarce.
_Woodbury._ Twenty-four miles from New-Haven, N.W.
In a geological sketch of parts of the counties of New-Haven
and Litchfield, which may appear in a future Number, it will be
seen that prehnite, stilbite, and agate are found at Woodbury,
in the little basin of secondary greenstone which exists there;
the prehnite is abundant--it is not known whether the agates are
so, although it is asserted to be the fact; the stilbite was not
observed to be abundant, although it was well characterized.
ART. VI. _Account of the Strata perforated by, and of the Minerals
found in, the great adit to the Southampton Lead Mine. Communicated
to the Editor by Mr._ AMOS EATON, _Lecturer on Geology, Botany, &c._
_To Professor Silliman._
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