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TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 79 
Notice of the recent Advances of Palaontological Discovery in Tuscany. 
By Prof. Car. G. Menecurnt, of the University of Pisa. 
Tuscany is exceedingly rich in mineral products of every kind, and presents at the 
same time an extraordinary number of stupendous geological phenomena. Indus- 
trial interests and the love of science find there alike their inducement and recom- 
pense. It were to be desired, for the greater prosperity of the mining operations, 
that these were carried on with adequate capital, directed by an intelligent spirit of 
association. But, with respect to the scientific researches, they are ardently pursued 
by many amateurs, and are every day bringing to light new treasures. 
Especially the Pal@ontology of Tuscany has been enriched of late in an extraordi- 
nary degree; and the present communication is intended to give an outline of these 
new discoveries. 
Under the name of Verrucano (previously employed by Targioni), Savi, beginning 
with the earliest of his works, designated a vast formation which underlies the entire 
series of the secondary rocks, and is composed of sandstones, quartzites, talcose- 
schists, and arragonites, the series ending below in gneiss. This might, at that date, 
have been identified in a general way with the red sandstone, but palzontological 
data were wholly wanting to characterize it more particularly. At present we know 
the existence, in the middle part of this formation, of an anthracite deposit accom- 
panied by casts of upwards of fifty species of Sigillaria, Calamites, Annularia, Astero- 
phyllites, Cyatheites, Neuropteris, Pecopteris, &c., in splendid preservation; and 
all, or nearly all, capable of being positively identified with those of the other car- 
boniferous beds. Besides this, in the strata of sandstone which accompany the 
anthracite bed, there are found in abundance Cyathocrinus, Cyathophyllum, Orthis, 
Leptena, and Spirifer, of species equally distinguishable as belonging to the carbon- 
iferous epoch, although a mineralogical equivalent of the mountain limestone is en- 
tirely wanting. In this formation of the Verrucano, therefore, we are now enabled to 
distinguish the presence of the two red sandstones, the Old and the New. 
The first member of our secondary rocks is composed of a bituminous, black lime- 
stone, frequently converted into beautiful black marble, or into bardiglio. We have 
found in it numerous fossils, but in a state which does not favour their identification. 
They seem, however, sufficient to characterize this limestone as Trassic, especially by 
the presence of the Gervillia socialis. 
The series of the Lias and the Jura appear in Tuscany and in the neighbouring 
regions of the rest of Italy, under conditions of the greatest interest. The stratigraphic 
and mineralogical succession in the anticlinal curves of the metalliferous chain is com- 
posed of the following members in ascending order. First. White limestone passing 
into marble, more or less crystalline, of great bulk, and elevated so as to constitute the 
central nucleus of the anticlinal curve (Campiglia), or the most central of the peri- 
pheric bands, in case the palzozoic rocks also have been sufficiently elevated and 
disrupted to constitute the central area (Apuan Alps, Montagnola Senese, Elba, Cayo 
Argentaro). Fossil remains abound here in some spots, but are seldom recognizable ; 
those which it has been possible to determine belong to the lower lias. Secondly. 
Ammonitic red limestone, so called from the abundance of ammonites which it con- 
tains, but which must not be confounded with other ammonitic red limestones in and out 
of Italy, since the species which it includes are almost all of the section of the Arietes ; 
it has in general but little thickness. Thirdly, Another limestone of a light-grey 
colour, often including flint. The lower part of this affords, very sparingly, | 
ammonites of the same species as those of the subjacent red limestone, but in the 
upper part we have very lately found a great number of ammonites, converted, for 
the greater part, into hydratic oxide of iron, and of species completely different. 
Fourthly. A very deep series of argillaceous schists, tawny, red, or green, all com- 
prehended under the name of “ variegated,” in which, before this time, there had not 
been any fossils found. We have recently discovered that the lower beds of these 
schists, that is, those which are in immediate superposition to the grey limestone which 
contains the altered ammonites, are full of casts of Posidonomya Bronnii. 
The locality of La Spezia has long been known for the abundance of ammonites 
discovered there by Guidoni, and illustrated by Sowerby in the work of De la Beche. 
Here, although the succession of the strata is much obscured by great and repeated 
