XBi Murchison and Verneuil on (he Geological Structure 



fiorifonnxsy one of the most cliaracteristic fossils of the English carbonife- 

 rous limestone, &c. 



Owing to its mineral aspect, the age of this rock had, till within the 

 last year, been misunderstood ; but Colonel Helmerscn having observed 

 its position in the Waldai Hills and its association with certain beds of 

 coal, and having ascertained the nature of the fossils through the exami- 

 nation of M. von Buch, he first gave out in Russia, that it must be con- 

 sidered the true mountain limestone. The authors have completely con- 

 firmed this view, by ascending and descending sections, and have largely 

 extended it. 



Newer Red Formations. — The manner by which the authors were led 

 to believe in the existence of newer red deposits, forming a vast basin in 

 the governments of Vologda, Nijnii, Kostroma, is explained at some 

 length, by describing the ascending section of the Dwina, and by details 

 relating to the structure of the banks of the rivers Volga, Oka, &c. 

 Th«y shew that, although this great red series of the central government 

 agrees with that of the north, in containing salt and gypsum, yet that it 

 differs from the " old red" group in the lithological and zoological cha- 

 racters of its marls, limestones, and fine conglomerates, none of the fishes 

 or organic remains before alluded to being anywhere discoverable. In 

 expressing their suspicion that this newer red system may be found event- 

 ually to contain the equivalents of the upper coal measures, lower new 

 red sandstone {rothe-todte liegende), magnesian conglomerate, Zechstein, 

 and the Trias of German geologists, the authors reserve their opinions on 

 such details until they have accomplished a tour to the Ural Mountains, 

 on the western flanks of which they hope to detect the evidences re- 

 quired; it being very diflScult to trace the exact sequence in the flat 

 and obscure regions over which they followed these deposits to so wide 

 an extent. 



Oolitic or Jurassic Series. — Certain rocks of the oolitic series have been 

 long known to exist in the centre of Russia, and some of the fossils of 

 this series were sent to England by Mr Strangways. 



The beds of black shale which rest at once on the great red formation 

 along the banks of the Volga, between Kostroma and Nijnii Novogorod, 

 belong unquestionably to the middle oolite, as they contain Ammonites 

 and Belemnites, closely approaching, if not identical, in species with 

 those of the Oxford clay and " Kelloway Rock" of Smith. Other fossils 

 found near Jelatma, Kacimof, and Moscow, exhibit close relations to the 

 fauna of the lias, as wel! as to that of the middle and lower oolite. 

 Having examined a suite of specimens from Moscow, Professor Phillips 

 confirms the views of the authors, who are disposed to think that the 

 middle and lower oolite, as well as the lias, are all represented in Cen- 

 tral Russia simply by beds of black shale with subsidiary courses of 

 oolitic marlstone, concretions, &c. Near Moscow these shales repose 

 directly and conformably upon the carboniferous limestone. Among 

 the fossils of the group on the Volga and the Oka are Ammonites flex- 

 ittria, 4, Gulicimif A. Konigii, A. subUsvis, with Oryph<3eaf Maccullochii? 



