lul M) M'.AH SANTAS IN BRAZIL. -' s 9 



are curious, inasmuch as similar masses arc mentioned bj Mr 

 Knni»- as found in the Guadaloupe rock, and which detonated 

 with nitre like gun powder. 



The rock at Guadaloupe, which contains so many skele- 

 tons, is covered by .high tides, and extends along the shore 

 nearly a mile. Bach skeleton seems encased in a targe no- 

 dule of an oval shape. OT in a ma— resembling a nodule de- 

 tached From a larger ruck. The ruck is described a- an 

 "aggregate, composed principally <>f zoophytic particles, and 

 the detritus of compact limestone. It readily dissolves in 

 diluted nitric acid without leaving any evident residue." — 

 Konig. 



Mr Konig's rock is "a greyish yellow passing into a yel- 

 lowish grey. When more closely examined it is found to 

 consisl of yellowish grains, intermixed with others of a more 

 nr less deep flesh red colour. These grains, though minute, 

 are in some parts of the m>s perfectly defined, and in close 

 contact with each other, although no cement is perceptible. 

 In other parts the-, are, as it were, confluent, forminga more 

 Mi- Less porous mass. In others, again, they form a compact 

 mass, in which the former distinct concretions, especially the 

 red ones, are only indicated by a difference of colour. 



The specimen of rock before us is certainly a small one. 

 and may. on that account, he an unlit subject for comparison 

 with that described by Mi' Konig. In regard i" colour il is 

 more nearly blueish grey passing into blue; some parts of it 

 are yellowish: at a little distance from the eye it resembles 

 a piece of dried mud idled with broken oyster shells. There 

 are particles of a reddish, or rather Spanish brown colour. 

 disseminated through it \* n sparsel 



This specimen is»quite hard and heavy; it has numerous 

 pore- or interstices, some of which constitute a sort of \,r\ 

 -mall geodic cavities lined bj a drusj looking Btalactitic car- 

 bonate. The Guadaloupe stone i^ harder than statuary mar- 

 ble, hut I think this is considerably soft r. 



I can not discover in il a vestige of the yellowish grains 

 descrihed as making so large a pari of the -t • in the British 



\ OI.. III. I II 



