1823.] Transition Formation of Sweden. 21 



fossils. Such beds exist only where no clayslate separates the 

 sandstone from the limestone. Near Buda Chapel, a bed of 

 sandstone is found between a bed of Hmestone and of granite ; 

 and on Osmundsberg (Osmundsmountain), a bed of clayslate 

 joins them, containing graptohthes (a small kind of orthocera-* 

 tites). It is curious that this mountain, where at least three 

 beds of different rocks occur, is the richest in fossils of the 

 whole province ; and the uppermost bed contains, besides the 

 common entomostracites, a great number of anomites, turbinites, 

 and madrepora stellaris, with several remains resembling corals* ' 

 Entomostracites, crassicauda, * and laticauda, t are pecuHar 

 to this mountain. The limestone is commonly red, hke that 

 from Gothland : now and then it becomes white : it then has no 

 fossils, and sometimes contains galena. It is curious that no 

 alumslate or swinestone (anthracolite, Werner), is found in this 

 province accompanying the limestone, which, in other places, 

 is generally the case. 



The island of Gothland agrees with respect to the limestone and 

 its fossils so completely with the Osmundsberg, that it must 

 follow next. Gothland is by far the largest of all beds in Swe- 

 den, which contain petrifactions, so that it has almost as large a 

 surface as all the rest together ; which seems to be again in 

 direct proportion to the greater basin in which it was formed, 

 which is the Baltic. The transition formation is perfectly 

 isolated, the nearest rocks of granite being at a distance of 

 about fifty miles. It is, however, probable, that it rests on a 

 flat plain of granite, partly covered by this formation, and partly 

 by the sea, which is no where round the island of any considera- 

 ble depth. The beds of limestone are perfectly horizontal, 

 except at Thorsborg. Upon what kind of rock the limestone 

 immediately rests is not known, except in one place in the west 

 part of the island, where below it a calcareous sandstone has 

 been observed, containing the same mytilites, as the Osmunds- 

 berg ; and this proves still more the similarity between these 

 two parts of the transition formation, so far distant from each 

 other. No clayslate has been found in Gothland. The lime- 

 stone is light grey, compact, and does not contain any fossils, 

 except on the faces where two beds join ; they are ^ kind of 

 imperfect fossil, which resembles a phacites; and which is pe- 

 culiar to Gothland. On the faces of the upper beds occur a 

 quantity of unusually large encrinites, anomites, and millepora ; 

 and upon the uppermost face, a great number of corals, turbi- 



♦ Entomostracites crassicauda Wahlenb. " oculis ad angulos superiores capitis con- 

 vexi, Cauda subtriangulari ; marginibus involutis crassissimis." It is very rare to find 

 complete specimens ; but different parts, principally the tail, have been found frequently. 



t Entomostracites laticauda Wahlenb. : oculis ad latus capitis convexissimis, Cauda 

 suborbiculari; limbo latissimo pianissimo radiato integerrimo. It is always twice as 

 large as the former; and it is, therefore, not improbable, that it is a fossil of an older 

 animal of the same kind. It has not yet been found entire, but only head and tail, and 

 never in any other rock than greyish-white limestone. 



