THE GEOLOGICAL TOURIST IN EUROPE. 223 



rocks. Next comes the Odenwald. Tlie northern part of this 

 lias not been recently described (18) as a whole, although there 

 is much of petrographic interest. The Rothliegendes, with its 

 amygdaloids, is broken through by basalt, which at the Ross- 

 berg has glass inclosures, at the Oetzberg sandstone inclosures. 

 In Darmstadt is a museum, which may be of assistance. South 

 of Darmstadt, around Castle Frankenstein, is a mass of gabbro 

 and diorite with many interesting varieties. Near Auerbach 

 marble occurs, and in sundry other places garnet rocks. 



We now are approaching Heidelberg, a town well placed as a 

 center for geologic excursions. Benecke and Cohen (19) have, 

 however, one fault as guides. They are too complete ; so that a 

 few remarks may not be out of place. North of Heidelberg the 

 petrographer will find much and the paleontologist nothing, for 

 the well-known Triassic sandstone and the Rothliegendes are not 

 fossiliferous. South of Heidelberg, however, past the cadmium 

 and zinc mines of Wiesloch, we can get a continuous section 

 through the whole Trias well up into the Jura. Lime-pits and 

 cement-works quarries afford exposures into the weaker beds, 

 and the workmen have learned to save the ammonites, etc. East 

 of Heidelberg, following up the beautiful valley of the Neckar, 

 we come to the nephelinite of the Katzenbuckel, a stone in places 

 so coarse as to yield when weathered distinct crystals of nepheline. 



In the Friedrichsbau of the old university is an interesting 

 collection of maps, models, and specimens. There is also a school 

 of petrography much frequented by students of all nations, espe- 

 cially Americans. On the steep way up to the castle from the 

 Prinz Carl Hotel is the natural curiosity store of Blatz, the old- 

 est house in Germany, I believe, with very reasonable prices. 

 The granite on which the castle stands is best exposed on the 

 Valerien-Weg, a pretty path just beyond the Carlsthor. Leav- 

 ing the valley of the Neckar, the hills gradually grow lower and 

 more rounded till near Baden we approach the Black Forest 

 through which the Black Forest Railway winds its bold and 

 tortuous way. Geologically this is essentially like the Oden- 

 wald, and Eck's inexpensive maps (20) will serve as guides. I 

 should not pass Strasburg and Freiburg without mention. The 

 one, with a university, fine collections, and a geological survey, 

 is the natural center for excursions in Alsace — not so pleasant 

 just now, for geology has less regard for frontiers than have the 

 French and Germans. The other has also university collections, 

 and may be made the center for excursions in the Black Forest 

 or to the Kaiserstuhl, an isolated volcanic peak rising out of the 

 Rhine, and a locality for limburgite, perowskite, and zeolitic min- 

 erals. It is mostly cultivated in those oblong patches character- 

 istic of peasant proprietorship. 



