INTEODUCTTOX. 7 



6. The Eadiolite zone : Cretaceous Marl, crystalline Limestone, Dolomite, fissile 

 Limestone. 



7. The Slate of Hakil : Hard fissile Slate, with Fishes, Crabs, Sepise, and Echinoderms. 



8. Marl, with the Fishes of Siihil Alma. 



9. Chalky Marl, corresponding to the English White Chalk. 



Of these members, 1 and 2 belong to the Ceuomanian, 3-8 to the Turonian, and 9 to 

 the Senonian of d'Orbiguy. Three of them, not to be referred to again, are represented 

 in the Bird collection by other than moUiiscan species, viz.: the 1st, by the singular 

 spines of Cidariles glandarius Lang {C'iduris glandifera Goldfuss), the Lapides Juda'ici, 

 or "Jews' Acorns," " Stone Olives," etc., which, with the Lebanon fossil fishes, were objects 

 of curiosity anil wuudur to early (Oriental travellers from the times of the Crusades ; 

 the 7th, by small specimens of two genera of Echinoids, Salcnia and Ci/pliosuma ; the 8th, 

 by Fossil Fishes from the Marl of Sahil Alma. 



Of the Tertiary formation, Fraas agrees with Lartet in recognizing in Syria south of 

 Tarabulus (Tripoli) the presence of only the Eocene ; but he declares it to be impossible to 

 draw the limit between the Eocene and the Cretaceous. He states that Nummulites pass 

 down into the Cretaceous, and asserts, contrary to the doctrine so long accepted, that 

 nowhere in the region does the finding of a Nummulite make it certain that the bed in 

 which it lies is of Tertiary age ; while Lartet apparently adheres to the older view. The 

 Bird collection contains specimens of what Lartet regards as Nummulites Lyelli Archiac. 



Lartet declares the presence of the Miocene, so fossiliferous near Cairo and on the 

 isthmus of Suez, as well as of the Pliocene, not proved hy tlie evidence of fossils to exist 

 in the parts traversed by himself. But he is inclined to assign to the Tertiary, without 

 specifying the age more precisely, certain detrital deposits found in Palestine and 

 Idumsea. Fraas, however, on an excursion to Mount Terbol (or Turbul), a spur from the 

 northern part of the Lebanon range, a few hours' journey from Tarabulus, discovered a 

 " surprising mass " of Tertiary detritus, resting upon a floor of yellow calcareous rock. In 

 this limestone he distinguished bulky Corals, Ostrca longirostris, and many other fossils 

 which warranted him in pronouncing the beds to be of Miocene age. 



It may not be out of place to add, that during a brief interview with Professor Zittel, 

 of Munich, after the determinations and descriptions noted in the following paper were 

 mainly completed, his attention was called to the outspread specimens of the several 

 collections. He did not hesitate to express his opinion that, as a whole, the Cretaceous 

 portion must be regarded as of later than Cenomanian age. Though given after a hasty 

 and general survey, this opinion is significant as being that of an eminent palaeontologist, 

 and confirmatory of tlie view of an able and experienced geologist. It has weight, not 

 only on account of Professor Zittel's reputation for great learning in the wide field of 

 Palfeontology, but because the Cretaceous system has been an object of his special 

 study. 



Cambkidge, February, 1884. 



