20 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Yol. 



YU. 



mountaiu side. At the eastern end of tlie Island there are quite 

 a number of them at different heights, and all seemingly quite 

 horizontal. I suppose them to be old coral-reel's marking suc- 

 cessive stages in the elevation of the land during the Pliocene 

 and Post-pliocene periods. Mr. Sawkins, in his recently pub- 

 lished Geology of Jamaica, speaks of an extensive limestone 

 formation of the latter period in that Island, ascribing to it a 

 thickness of 2,000 feet. 



Coral walls similar in aspect to those just described, but at 

 lower levels, fringe the coast of Cuba further westward ; some 

 are elevated a few hundred feet above the sea, while the tops of 

 others are still washed by the ocean. 



The Sierra Maestra has, among its higher mountains, peaks, 

 which in height exceed any of the Appalachian or Laurentian 

 Mountains of North xVmerica. They are directly upon the sea- 

 board, and being 8,000 feet high, present a far more imposing 

 spectacle than those of any range in Eastern North x\merica. If 

 one may judge from its jagged outline and steep sides, this 

 range has been thrust up in comparatively recent geological 

 times ; and if the movement which resulted in its elevation were 

 cotemporary with those acting upon the ridges thrown up in the 

 western part of the Island, it probably received its present form 

 about the close of the Miocene period. When we sailed by it,, 

 the whole southern side, with the exception of a very narrow 

 strip along the shore, was of a uniform brown color. Tliere was 

 thus little to divert the eye from the tiiin wreaths of mist which 

 could be seen to gather in the cronies amon<»; the hioher crests, 

 and which told so plainly the history of daily change in the tem- 

 perature. 



In the early part of the day they appeared at elevated points 

 along the mountain, and gradually increased among the upper 

 valleys, and on the shoulders of the hills as the day wore on : 

 till at length they combined in one continuous cloud belt, which 

 hid from view the greater part of the range. Sometimes they 

 would extend more tlian halfway down it sides; but in all cases 

 the higher peaks peeped forth, or stood out boldly above the rol- 

 ling sea of mist. 



Every hour after mid-day added to the density and extent of' 

 the cloud-belt, till niiiht came and hid it from view. Next 

 morning the whole body of cloud had disappeared from the 

 mountains, hfjving been swept away to leeward during the night 



