450 ON THE GEOLOGY OF THE 
the Valley of the Po, we find a marked distinction. Besides 
the remains of the animals just mentioned, with those of the 
Hippopotamus, the Urus, and the Elk, Broccut has enumera~ 
ted 284 different shells, many of which are either the inhabi- 
tants of distant oceans, or whose prototypes are altogether un- 
known; while all the marine fossil remains of Nice may be 
found in a recent state in the adjoining sea. 
Broccnt, I find, is inclined to dispute the fact of the shells of 
St Hospice being really fossil, as stated by M. Risso, in his short 
but interesting memoir on that peninsula, and is inclined to con- 
sider this spot as the bottom of some former sea. No one,I think, 
will dispute the last position; but with respect to the shells being 
really fossi/, in a geological point of view, that must, as I have 
already stated, depend upon the acceptation of the term: for, 
here we trace these marine remains, no doubt deposited at very 
different epochs, from a state in which they have undergone 
very little alteration, to that of being reduced to an impalpable 
powder ; and, finally, we find them imbedded in the solid rock,, 
and even in this situation retaining a great degree of colour, 
and the pearly lustre among those to which it is peculiar, 
In the bone brescia, we certainly find the remains of land 
animals no longer existing in Kurope: still the state of the 
marine organic remains shews, that the changes which have so 
strangely affected other countries, do not appear to have ope- 
rated on this; and they likewise prove, in the most incontes- 
tible manner, the great alteration which has taken place on the 
relative position of the sea and land... How this, alteration has 
been brought about, I shall not pretend to, discuss: it is, an 
investigation somewhat analogous to that of the original, for- 
mation of the Globe, or, as it is more modestly ae the 
Crust of the Earth, not very likely to be rewarded by any satis- 
factory 
Daan ta oss onk dliochectseosa.atth sa 
eae 
ee 
