23d Stientific Intelligence » [Sept. 



the identity of this deposit with the red marl. This formation fills up 

 the valleys of the Alps, and forms only in the eastern part, and in the 

 Carpathians, most extensive ranges of hills, like the Spessart. It is 

 the gr^s houiller of Beudant, and of my former niemoir."— (Memoirs of 

 Wernerian Society, vol. iv. Part I.) 



" As this deposit lies upon a very irregular surface, it forms, as 

 elsewhere, many undulations, and affords the first origin of the undu- 

 lated stratification of the hills of shell limestone [muschelkalk), which 

 overlie this formation. The nipine shell limestone [miischelkalk) is a 

 compact liWestone, of a whitish, greyish, yellowish, hrownish, and 

 rarely blackish or reddish colour. It contains imbedded flinty concre- 

 tions, and is traversed by many small veins of calcareous spar, which 

 are generally totally different from those of the transition limestone, 

 and the thin numerous veins of the magnesian limestone, in short, are 

 analogous to those of the shell limestone (muschelkalk). These rocks, 

 which are in some few instances of a particular granular or oolitic 

 structure (roggenstein), afford marbles intermediate between the mar- 

 bles of the transition limestone, and those of the lias or Jura limestone. 

 They contain many of the same fossils, as the shell limestone (muschel- 

 kalk) of the north of Germany, ammonites, modiola socialis, nau- 

 tili, strombites, turbiniteSj fragments of echini, madrepores, tubipores^ 

 alcyons, &c. They form very high hills, composed of thin beds always 

 stratified, which affords a good test to distinguish this limestone from 

 the magnesian, upon which it often lies in patches or hills. It abounds 

 around the salt district, in Austria, Switzerland, Dauphine; in short, 

 it is a part of the alpine limestone of authors. 



" Afler this description, I need only add, that I see nothing in it of 

 the character of the lias or Jura limestone, as Mr. Buckland calls this 

 deposit. Its intimate connexion with the salt formation, its situation, 

 Its petrifactions, its nature, all show that it is the shell -limestone form- 

 ation (muschelkalk), so long neglected, and which now seems to 

 occupy so conspicuous a place in nature. It is probable, that even a 

 great part of the limestone lying upon the Macigno, or variegated 

 sandstone of the Middle Appennines, belongs to the shell limestone 

 (muschelkalk), and not to the Jura limestone. Yet, in contradicting 

 in this manner so intelligent an observer as Buckland, I do not, by any 

 means, consider it impossible that some 'patches of the Jura formation 

 may be situated near, or upon the Alps, in some parts ; but in Germany 

 I do not know of any facts which show the probability of this state- 

 ment, and so long as Mr. Buckland is without a clear idea of the shell 

 limestone (muschelkalk), and of its difference from the lias, at least in 

 Germany and France, he will probably hesitate as to the accuracy of 

 my observations. His chief arguments are derived from the petrifac- 

 tions ; but is it not very natural that the same terebratulae, or some 

 other similar petrifactions, may exist both in the shell-limestone (mus- 

 chelkalk), and lias ? and until he show me in the alpine shell-limestone 

 (muschelkalk), the gryphites, the icthyosauri, the plagiostoniata, and 

 show that it is unconnected with the salt deposit, I cannot adopt his 

 ideas, which seem to me inconsistent with nature." 



