and the Phenomena acc(ynipanying their Elevation. 9 



lerrao. They are extensively quarried for building-stones at 

 Santa Flavia, where they consist of a coarse yellow limestone, 

 principally made up of shells, containing pectens, oysters, and 

 cardia in abundance, besides other fossils, and exactly resem- 

 bling the beds at the foot of the Monte Pelegrino. 



Immediately beyond the cape of Melicia, these beds present a 

 different arrangement, for we there find them very considerably- 

 inclined to the horizon, and they will therefore deserve some 

 attention. The small valley between the capes of Melicia and 

 Delle Mandre, has a general direction of about S. 25° W., and 

 its surface rises rapidly from the sea, excepting in a deep ravine, 

 which runs through the midst of it, and intersects the tertiary 

 beds which compose it. The small ridge on the western side of 

 the valley (PL II. Fig. 3.), and terminated by Cape -Melicia, 

 consists of dolomite ; that on the east, terminated by the Cape 

 Delle Mandre, of limestone. In the dolomite, as usual, no stra- 

 tification is to be observed ; but the limestone presents most dis- 

 tinct strata, which are very highly inclined. Their direction is 

 nearly that of the ridge itself, viz. S. 9.5° W., and they dip at 

 an angle of about 40° towards the valley. Upon crossing the 

 ridge to the eastward, I found, at a few hundred yards, that 

 they are interspersed with marls, and dip towards the east, pre- 

 serving, however, the same direction, which would indicate this 

 as the situation of an anticlinal hne, having a direction parallel 

 to the ridge, and consequently to the valley. 



The only exception to this general bearing of the strata, is at: 

 the extremity of the cape towards the sea, where some of the 

 limestone-beds have a direction of W. 35° S., and dip towards 

 N. 35° W., but this may have been produced by some local 

 disturbing cause. 



The valley itself is composed of coarse tertiary limestone and 

 conglomerate, the strata of which have the same dip and direc- 

 tion as of the eastern ridge, against which they rest, but which 

 becomes less as they recede from it ; and it is worthy of remark, 

 that the above direction is nearly the same as that of the valley 

 of the Oretus, where the tertiary beds, as we have already re- 

 marked, are also deranged. The highest point which the ter- 

 tiary rocks attain is 311 feet above the level of the sea*. To- 

 • By barometer. 



