Northern and Central Turkey. 265 



zontal. In the middle part of that basin I found, north of Po- 

 bovdol, three thick beds of bituminous wood, interstratified 

 with the marly sandstones which are there of a granitic ap- 

 pearance, and somewhat resemble the granite of Kostendil and 

 Rilo. Dicotyledonous wood and some boggy gramineous plants 

 are found in it. One peculiarity of this molasse is, that it 

 reaches to considerable heights. M. Viquenel found it at the 

 top of the Koniavo hill N. of Kostendil, and I saw it forming 

 the hills N. of Pobovdol, then those to the E., NW., and W. 

 of Dubnicza, and extending to the vicinity of Dzumaa. We 

 cannot say if the elevation, which amounts to from 1500 to 2000 

 feet, is the original one, or whether the deposits were elevated 

 at the epoch of the appearance of the neighbouring trachytes. 



The fact is, that varieties of molasse or tertiary marls are as- 

 sociated at a high level with trachytic conglomerates, between 

 the plain of Kostendil and the valley of the Egredere. 



Marls are very abundant near Dubnicza, where they form 

 the soil of beautiful vineyards. In the basin of Radomir there 

 are calcareous conglomerates and travertines, with some lacus- 

 trine limestone, including Helices and Planorbes, as around the 

 town of Radomir. I consider these to have been deposited 

 from a mineral spring which formerly issued from the adjacent 

 limestone hill. This hill still affords large springs of excellent 

 fresh water. Alluvial loam or loss also occurs there in the 

 hollows, and on the banks of the Strymon. 



In the basin of Dubnicza the alluvial deposits acquire a great 

 thickness and height; they envelope the ridges of limestone 

 north of Dubnicza and Kostendil, and extend all along the 

 base of the crystalline schistose Rilo-Planina, as also along the 

 Perin-Dagh. A small platform is thus formed all round the 

 northern and western part of the Rilo-Planina and Easteni Ka- 

 ratova hills. This old alluvial formation is merely the result of 

 the continued erosive action which took place at the end of the 

 tertiary epoch ; for, at the entrance of the principal longitudi- 

 nal valleys of the Rilo-Planina, we find, behind the village of 

 Rilo, a very thick mass of recent tertiary conglomerate in ho- 

 rizontal beds, and attaining an elevation of at least 100 feet 

 above the torrent o the defile. 



