Geology of the Austrian Alps. 29 



but when he finds at Gossau inoceramus, and all the other se- 

 condary genera, he does not hesitate to be of our opinion. If 

 we consult geologists the most intimately connected with the 

 recent secondary deposites in the Alps and in the Pyrenees, we 

 find their opinion in conformity with ours. Thus, M. Beau- 

 mont agrees with us in regard to Gossau and Kressenberg, for 

 he found, during his journeys through Eastern France, similar 

 anomalies. M. Dufresnoy, at present occupied with the geo- 

 logical map of Southern France and the Pyrenees, is still more 

 in our favour, for he acknowledged many fossils in our collec- 

 tion to be identical with those which he found in greensand. Af- 

 ter a careful study of all the fossils from the chalk formation of 

 the countries under examination, he concludes, that out of 240 

 species, 40 are species that, until now, were considered as ter- 

 tiary, a case similar to that of Gossau. Still, not satisfied with 

 the high testimonies in our favour of the opinion of Messrs 

 Partsch, Kefferstein, Lill, and ourselves, we consulted choncholo- 

 gists. M. Deshayes, who saw the collection of Messrs Sedg- 

 wick and Murchison^ as well as mine, cannot admit their con- 

 clusion ; and even dares not pronounce the perfect identity of 

 any of the pretended tertiary species of Gossau with those spe- 

 cies known in various tertiary basins in Europe. In London, 

 Mr Sowerby seems to have been less cautious, for he named 

 at least some species. M. de Roissy was also astonished with 

 the ideas emitted by our adversaries: M. de France, assu- 

 redly the most learned man in this department of natural 

 history at present alive, also did me the favour of examining 

 my fossils from Gossau. His opinion also is against the view of 

 Messrs Sedgwick and Murchison. This excellent man said to me, 

 " I have collected fossils for a long time, and hence you would 

 conceive that the species in my cabinet would increase ; but this 

 is not the case. On the contrary, the more individuals I receive, 

 the more transitions of one species into another I observe ; and, 

 consequently, the number of species become less and less. Each 

 locality appears to possess not so much its own species, as more 

 frequently its own varieties of every where nearly the same spe- 

 cies. This circumstance, too much neglected, makes the best 

 works on fossils only applicable to certain localities. If, on the 

 other hand, we could get together from all parts of the earth, 



