416 Dr Bout's Researches in Geography, Natural 



by a bifurcation of the Alps, which here, as in Styria and Ca- 

 rinthia, divides into two branches. Of these the south-eastern, 

 having reached Upper Mcesia, divides into an eastern and 

 south-south-eastern portion, between which two rise, as in the 

 Alps, enormous mountains of crystalline slates. The latter, 

 accompanied by these same secondary rocks, extend to the 

 Archipelago as well as into Asia Minor, and support in the 

 Taurus, as in Turkey, enormous masses of chalk. 



The crystalline rocks of Turkey are distinguished from those 

 of the Alps in containing many more distinct basons, and 

 a larger number of great cavities, which are filled with tertiary 

 deposits, but are unaccompanied by erratic blocks, although 

 the deposit of Meteora in Thessaly would seem to indicate a 

 similar event during the tertiary epoch. They are also pierced 

 by great trachytic eruptions even in the centre of the chains, 

 whereas in the Alps these latter are only found at the foot of 

 the range. The serpentines of Turkey bear the greatest re- 

 semblance in the mode of their distribution to those of the 

 Tyrol. 



The western side of Turkey presents the counterpart of the 

 Italian peninsula, with this difference, that sandstone rocks 

 predominate in the latter and calcareous in the former ; and 

 that the tertiary or subapennine deposits are less abundant 

 on the Turkish side. 



The operation of volcanic forces seems to be evinced even at 

 the present day by the frequent earthquakes which are re- 

 corded by ancient writers, and are frequently experienced at 

 present, as along the western coast. The most destructive 

 was that of 1667, which destroyed Kagusa. Wallachia is also 

 exposed to the same calamity, as in 1838. 



The islands bordering upon the coast often suffer severely, 

 particularly Zante ; and in others, as at Melida near Eagusa 

 off the coast of Dalmatia, subterraneous noises are sometimes 

 heard, which are referable to the same cause. 



Vegetation of Turkey. 



We find in Turkey the elements of at least five foreign 

 Floras, viz. that of Hungary, that of Transylvania and Bui- 



