' of the Island of St Christopher. 267 



yellow, and white transparent quartz, mingled with powdered 

 shells, is that which is found on the sea-shores. The dark- 

 coloured quartz predominates so much as to give the sand 

 a blackish appearance. 



Pumice, ScoricB, and Volcanic Ashes^ are everywhere 

 abundant. 



In many places, the volcanic rocks are met with, in all 

 stages, from incipient to absolute decomposition. 



Remarks on the Discovery of some Fossil Bones in France, 

 By John Ranking, Esq. 

 The bones discovered at Breingues, in the Departement du 

 Lot, have been noticed by M. Cuvier. The following descrip- 

 tion is by M. Delpon : — " In various points of the calcareous 

 portion of Quercy, there are remains of an entrenchment 

 formed of blocks of stone, in straight lines or circular inci- 

 sures . The most remarkable of these inclosures occupy the 

 summit of two mountains of the Commune de Breingues, in 

 the circle of Figeac, one on the right, and the other on the left 

 bank of the Sele. On the rocks of the right bank, there are 

 several cavities or grottoes, before which some vestiges of build- 

 ings are seen ; a circumstance which presents itself in the 

 greater number of grottoes with which the rocks along the Lot, 

 the Seld, &c., are perforated. In 1816, the population of 

 Breingues, in hope of finding concealed treasure, were occu- 

 pied in digging among these grottoes, and came to one, the 

 entrance to which was choked up with earth : here, at the 

 depth of three feet, they found the bones of a human body, 

 and an iron instrument resembling a fork with two prongs. 

 They then dug in a perpendicular direction to the depth of 

 eighteen metres ; but the natural cavity, which hitherto was in 

 a straight direction, here presented three cavities also filled up 

 with earth and stones. On coming near the first grotto, they 

 were arrested by three large stones placed above one another 

 by the hand of man. These stones had evidently been long 

 exposed to the open air before they were removed thus far 

 under ground, each being of a reddish colour on one of its 

 faces ; like all those which are at the present day raised from 



