266 Dr Boue on the Geography and Geology of 



Lastly, this basin contains the vast level alluvial plains of Ra~ 

 domir and Kostendil, and it must have been separated from 

 that of Sophia only by a very small stripe of land during the 

 tertiary epoch. 



The great Vardar tertiary basin extends from W. of Uskub 

 to Negotin, Istip, Komanova, and the valley of Shinnie (to the 

 E. of the last town), and includes small patches of rocks along 

 the Pepentz to 1^ leagues S. of Kacsanik. Marls, molasse, 

 quartzose micaceous sand, and sandstones, are the chief con- 

 stituent parts of its deposits ; but the molasse with some con- 

 glomerate predominates. On the Pepentz we saw, reposing on 

 mica slate, a patch of tertiary argillaceous marl, with traces of 

 lignite and impressions of leaves of trees ; it was in beds dip- 

 ping to the N.E. under an angle of 45, this high inclination 

 being owing to some accidental cause. Near Nagoritsch and 

 Vinitza, sand and sandstones are also inclined to the W. at an 

 angle of 15 ; but here the vicinity of doleritic rocks fully ac- 

 counts for this position, which is also observable farther to the 

 E. of Vinitza in sandstones and limestone conglomerates, which 

 dip to the E. under an angle of 20. Near Uskub at the Kars- 

 chiaka hill, there is a calcareous conglomerate having an incli- 

 nation of from 20 to 35. 



In the southern part of the basin, the molasse often forms a 

 very hilly country, as between Pepelischta and Istip, where red 

 marls, along with calcareous marls and some conglomerates, are 

 seen amongst these rocks, always without fossils as elsewhere. 

 Deposits, apparently of fresh water origin, occasionally occur 

 in the marls. We likewise observed between Gigantitz and 

 Istip, and at that last town, the molasse associated, as in 

 S.W. France, along the Lot, with whitish or reddish compact 

 calcareous marls, sometimes having a concretionary or pisolitic 

 structure. At Istip these beds have an inclination of from 5 

 to 10 ; this inclination is also seen at other places, as they co- 

 ver a very undulating surface of older sienitic or primary crys- 

 talline rocks. 



The Vardar at Negotin is surrounded by horizontal beds of 

 calcareous marls, with many impressions of aquatic marshy 

 plants. It appeared to me that these rocks were subordinate 

 to the molasse formation which constitutes a portion of the base 



