Natural History in Foreign Countries, 389 



■ pieces pressed one upon another, and intermixed with the husks of grain 

 (cosses de cereales). The wood, according to M. Lichfeldt, is that of the 

 lime tree. It h'es nearly horizontal between coarse sand and calcareous 

 clay; the first in form of a wall, and the latter serving as a roof. Here many 

 shells are found. The sand is separated from the stratum of lignite by 

 about six inches of a resinous clay, in the lower part of which a great num- 

 ber of shells of different sorts are found. The clay which covers the lignite 

 is very slaty, and where they come in contact, an infinite number of small 

 shells occur, chiefly Z)onax, Cardium, and Turbo. Over this lies an argil- 

 laceous sand, even to the roots of the green sward. It is everywhere accom- 

 panied by plastic clay. 



In a geographical point of view, this stratum of lignite is very interestingb 

 According to preceding observations made in Germany, France, England^ 

 Switzerland, and Scandinavia, and confirmed by Humboldt in his examina- 

 tion of the mountains of America, we ought to find lignite with plastic clay 

 above the chalk formations. In Bessarabia, the chalk is seen cropping out 

 near Mohilef on the Dniester, extending as far as Moldavia, in a north-east 

 direction. The formations situated between this chain of mountains of 

 chalk and the sea, present no analogy with the tertiary formations of 

 France. Here, above the chalk, are found; 1. a toise and a half of coarse 

 . sand ; 2. ei»ht inches of clay stone, with a portion of lime, of which the lower 

 part contains a little silex ; 3. a calcareous cretaceous rock, 5 ft. thick, ter- 

 minating at the upper part in Oolite ; 4. a bed of sound and compact calca- 

 reous stone, of little thickness; and 5. the whole plateau as far as the 

 Danube and the sea, is composed of calcareous stone, horizontal, and full 

 of shells. In the cavities of this principal formation, and generally between 

 Benderand the sea,in thedirection of north-east, is found siliceous limestone, 

 with remains of shells, among which occur some pinnites. At a great dis- 

 tance from the sea, upon the banks of the Bouik, the Reoute, the Koula, 

 and other rivers, the limestone is covered with friable marl, with crystals of 

 selenite. From the line of the Bender to Boudjak, immediately over the 

 sand lies a movable limestone, composed almost wholly of shells, more or 

 less mixed with iron ochre. Large masses of oolite limestone form the 

 distinctive character of that formation which follows the chalk, and to 

 which geologists give the name of tertiary, although the oolite limestone 

 often occurs under the character of the Jura limestone, as one of the prin- 

 cipal elements of formations of the second order. {Gornoi Journal^ No. x.) 



ASIA. 



Syrian Purple Dye. — The shells from which the celebrated purple dye 

 of the ancients was extracted, named by Pliny, the ilfurex and ^uccinum, 

 have given occasion to disputes among modern naturalists as to the species 

 meant. M. Lesson, upon comparing the description of Pliny with the Mol- 

 lusca now found in the Mediterranean, is of opinion that the jSuccinum Is 

 the lanthina. It is a pelagian shell, and extremely numerous. It sustains 

 itself on the surface of the sea by air vesicles, which Pliny calls a glutinous 

 wax ; and as soon as it is taken out of the water, there escapes from it a very 

 pure and very brilliant violet rose colour. Each shell contains an ounce 

 of this in the dorsal vessel. By means of alkalies, this colour is readily 

 .changed to green. The lanthina abounds equally in the Atlantic as in the 

 Mediterranean ; and, at certain seasons, the beaches of St. Helena and As- 

 cension are entirely covered vvith them. From experiments made with this 

 colouring matter, it appears to be a valuable reactive, turning red when 

 treated with acids, and blue with alkalies. Oxalate of ammonia gives 

 a deep blue precipitate, and nitrate of silver a pretty ash blue for painting 

 in water colours. {Bulletin des Sciences.) 



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