Hermann v. Meyer's Palwontological Notes. 245 



done the same, and covered, to a depth of 60 feet, a surface 

 of at least 100 acres. The same causes as in Frastanz, 

 though operating more slowly, have set it again a-going ; and 

 there seems every probability of its compelling a total change 

 in the line of road, as there is scarcely any human possi- 

 bility of stemming such a heavy torrent of debris, pouring 

 through a narrow gorge, from mountains 5000 feet high, on 

 either side of a ravine six or eight miles at least in length. 

 The * Saminer Thai,' behind Frastanz, runs ten or twelve 

 miles back to the mountains bordering on the Grisons, and 

 some of which are from 6000 to 8000 feet above the level of 

 the sea, or 1600 less above that of the valley of the 111, where 

 the stream discharges itself close to Carl Gamahle's mill." 



Palceontological Notes. By Hermann v. Meyer.* 



Holzerweid, near Bussenhausen, in the canton Zurich, 

 must now be added to the localities in Switzerland in which 

 the diluvial Loss contains remains only of the Elephas pri- 

 migenius, as Herr A. Escher von der Linth has sent me some 

 teeth of this animal of a calcined aspect from that place. 

 More importance attaches to the occurrence of this elephant 

 in the diluvial slate coal, which much resembles brown coal, 

 at DUrnten, a league from Rappers wyl, where a large molar 

 tooth has been found of a brown colour, like walnut wood, and 

 thus very similar to teeth from the tertiary brown coals. This 

 coal deposit represents the oldest diluvial filling-up of the 

 Valleys in the Swiss Alps, and contains plants which Heer 

 was not able to distinguish from those now living in moist 

 places in Switzerland. Near Utznach, this slate-coal fur- 

 nished the tooth of a large ruminant resembling the deer. 

 The occurrence of Elephas in this situation reminds me of a 

 mammoth skeleton dug out at Troitskoe, near Moskau, and 

 described by Rouillier. The upright position in a marsh, in 

 which the animal was found, shews distinctly that it had 

 been buried in the mud when venturing too far on the soft 



* Leonhard and Bronn's Jahrbuch, 1848, p. 465; and Geological Quarterly 

 Journal, No. 17, J. N. 



VOL. XLVI. NO. XCII. — APRIL 1849. R 



