?34 Scientific Intelligence* [Sept. 



VIII. Dr, Bout on the Newer Deposits of the Alps. 



In the 6rst volume of the Annalsy N. S. we published Prof. Buck- 

 land's ** Notice on the Structure of the Alps,&c. ;" and we now insert 

 some descriptive remarks on a part of the same subject, by another 

 eminent geologist, Dr. Boue, whose opinion respecting it has already 

 been adverted to by the Rev. W. D. Conybcare, in his ** Memoir on 

 the Mountain Chains of Europe," Annals^ v. 282, N. S. They are de- 

 rived from Dr. Boue*s *' Outlines of a Geological Comparative View 

 pf the South-west and North of France, and the South of Germany ;'* 

 read before the Wernerian Society on the 15th of April last, and pub- 

 lished in the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal for July, p. 128. 



" We shall now trace the shell limestone, and show, that by some 

 observers it has been confounded with the zechstein. It may afford 

 matter of surprise that I should contradict the opinion of so many cele- 

 brated men, but the fact is clear, and the confusion has arisen merely 

 from mistake regarding the geognostical position of the Jura limestone. 

 In Swabia, geologists not finding the zechstein, and yet being anxious 

 to recognize a deposit so well known in the north, had naturally, from 

 their not being acquainted with the shell limestone (muschelkalk), taken 

 this deposit for the zechstein, because it lies above what they rightly 

 consider as the todliegende. This base admitted, they naturally be- 

 lieved that the salt deposit was placed between their zechstein and 

 todliegende, and this salt they rendered subordinate to the zechstein 

 or alpme limestone of Friesleben. Further, they then naturally called 

 the Jura limestone the shell limestone (muschelkalk), and the quader- 

 sandstein the red marl. But when it is once acknowledged, what it is 

 impossible to deny, that their shell limestone (muschelkalk) is not the 

 zechstein, but in reality the second floetz limestone ; it then naturally 

 follows that, as every where else, the salt deposit lies under the great 

 mass of that formation, and alternates with every part of it." 



*' The shell limestone (miLschelkalk) of Wirtemberg, or of Wurzberg, 

 is in every respect the same as that of the north of Germany, and above 

 it comes the quadersaiidstein^ or third floetz sandstone, which sur- 

 rounds the Jura chain, and lies under it. The most interesting parts, 

 of this deposit are the environs of Amberg, where it contains short beds 

 of marly rock, with vegetable impressions (lycopodites), or siliciferous 

 beds, and a kind of coarse tripoli with carpolites. The lias lies above 

 it, and alternates with argillaceous and sandy beds ; it is a compact 

 marly rock, of a greyish colour, or slaty, with gryphites arcuata, pla- 

 giostomata, ammonites, belemnites, mytiloides, reptiles, &c. in short, 

 with all the fossils common to the lias and alumslate of England ; so 

 that 1 would recommend this part of Germany to the study of those 

 English geologists who are inclined to confound the shell limestone 

 (muschelkalk) of Germany with the lias, because the first deposit does 

 not appear to exist, or but very sparingly, in their own country. This 

 formation is also very interesting, from its clay containing masses of 

 brown iron-ore, or hydrate of iron, which are wrought with advantage, 

 and which rarely contain small veins of wavellite, and of oxide of man- 

 ganese, and are here and there changed by the quantity of marine 

 exuviffi into granular or compact, or even into beautiful crystallized 

 phosphate of iron (Amberg). The well-known pests of compact and 



