portion
of the island as alluvial " on a granitical base," appearing at the
Battery. His reference to the serpentine rocks is of interest. He
writes: " Rocks in which magnesian earth predominate are frequently
found, though not in large masses, but mostly in detached pieces. Some
of these are steatites, some serpentines, and others asbestos. Many
elegant specimens of steatites may be procured, some of which have
handsome den-dritical appearances upon them." He alludes to the
limestone at the north, and speaks of granatmes, granitelles, granilites, gneiss.
In
1839, Dr. L. D. Gale published in the Geological Report on the First
District of the State of New York a very accurate study of the region
of New York Island.
In
1840, Professor H. D. Rogers, in a Geological Report on the State of
New Jersey, separated the rocks of the Highlands from those on
Manhattan Island.
In 1843, W. W. Mather, in the Geology of the First District of New York, discussed the geology of Manhattan- Island.
In
1843, Issachar Cozzens, Jr., published his " Geological History of
Manhattan or New York Island," a book of much interest, discernment,
and reminiscent entertainment. Therein he discusses the Palisades,
Hoboken, and Staten Island. Many colored plates and map.
Professor R. P. Stevens, in 1865, read his 4report
upon the " Past and Present History of the Geology of New York Island "
before the Lyceum of Natural History. In this he assumes a limestone
bed below the channel of the Hudson River.
Dr.
H. Credner, the distinguished German geologist, has written a paper "
On the Geology of the Vicinity of New York City," published in 1865 in
Germany.
Professor
J. S. Newberry contributed, in 1878, to the Popular Science Monthly a
very readable paper on " The Geological History of New York Island and
Harbor."
In
1878, Professor Israel C. Russell read his paper on " The Physical
History of the Triassic Formation in New Jersey and the Connecticut
Valley" before the New York Academy of Science, in which he claimed "
that the red sandstones and shales of New Jersey and of the Connecticut
Valley are the marginal portions of one great Triassic estuary
deposit," and that they came together over the New York area now lying
between them, quite free of any member of the formation.
During 1880, 1881, 1882, Professor J. D. Dana contributed, to the American Journal of Science an important series of
