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On the Downs of Denmark^ By Professor G. Forchhammer of 

 Copenhagen. 



The formations which are constantly going on on the sea- 

 coast, have on the whole occupied but little of the attention of 

 geologists of late years, and for this reason, that the vast phe- 

 nomena of volcanos, and the therewith connected elevations 

 and depressions, have almost exclusively attracted their in- 

 terest. 



The masses deposited from the sea, perform, however, so 

 important a part in the history of the globe, that a more ex- 

 act study of the mode in which such formations are produced, 

 cannot be without value for the science of geognosy. Owing 

 to the great extent and the varied nature of the Danish coasts, 

 the study of these deposits has been pursued for a consider- 

 able period, and the stretch of coast which I have taken as 

 the basis of the observations presented in this essay, extends 

 from the mouth of the Eider to the northern point of Jutland, 

 from 54° 15' to 57° 4()', a distance of nearly 300 English miles, 

 if the bondings of the coast be reckoned. 



The whole western coast of Denmark is inclosed by one or, 

 properly speaking, two systems of downs, of which the inner 

 one, eastwards, indicates the coast of the sea at an earlier and 

 ante-historical period, and the outer one indicates the present 

 coast of the sea. The outer range of downs commences at 

 the farthest point of Eiderstedt, and is here therefore on the 

 solid land ; but some centuries ago Eiderstedt consisted of 

 three islands, which only at a subsequent period became united 

 with the mainland, and have continued to be protected against 

 the tides by artificial dikes. From this west point of the land the 

 range of downs extends uninterruptedly through currents of the 

 sea separating the islands, over the islands Amrom, Sylt, Ro- 

 moe, Manoe, and Fancie, and reaches the mainland again not 

 far from Hjerting, whence it stretches without interruption 

 to the northern point of Jutland, to what is termed the Gren 

 near Skagen. 



If we look at this system of downs from a distance, we 

 imagine it to be a range of hills, and the sharp, serrated forms 



