Commurtications respecting Bocks of Scandinavia. 303 



it, shews a distinct transition of clay-slate into syenite. I have 

 collected a complete scries of fossiliferous slates, in which, 

 first, iron-pyrites lie separate on the surface, then individual 

 crystals of hornblende, then mica, which passes into mica- 

 slate, and even into massive syenite. It will be interesting 

 to compare the phenomenon, which here lies so plain before 

 our eyes, with our similar Alpine phenomena. 



The true high lands of Scandinavia, which are by no means 

 those forming the boundai'y between Norway and Sweden, 

 but which lie in the western part of Norway, are not all rich 

 in geognostic relations, for they consist entirely of gneiss and 

 mica-slate, which, apart from interesting individual forma- 

 tions, which they comprise, bear the same character as every- 

 where else. But this extensive distribution of that rock is 

 in itself a subject of the greatest interest; in an extent of 

 many hundred square miles, there is nowhere to be found a 

 single formation which, according to the modern terminology, 

 one might venture to call granite ; and, consequently, in the 

 language of the Vulcanists, there is no cause for producing 

 metamorphoses of rock ; yet, nevertheless, every part appears 

 crystalline, even the highest peaks, the Skagastlstinderne in 

 Fortun-Fjeld, form no exception. 



The great beds of chrome iron-ore in Trondhjem's stift lie 

 in serpentine, and the latter forms beds in mica-slate. The 

 appearance of serpentine in beds, which you long ago shewed 

 in regard to the Alps, unquestionably occurs here in Nor- 

 way. Veins of a white fossil carbonate, which, according to 

 Stromeyer's analysis, is bitter-spar, ramify through the 

 chrome iron-ore, which seems to occur in vast nests. This 

 may appear strange, as, in general, carbonate of magnesia 

 does not occur in the neiglibourhood of serpentine. 



Sweden is still much poorer than the high lands of Norway. 

 Save some spots of fossiliferous transition rock, and the 

 more recent formations in Skonen, granite, or rather, accord- 

 ing to G. Hose's description, gneiss, is almost the only forma- 

 tion which occurs. Wherever, in this rock, there appear 

 veins of a coarse granular granite with oligoklase,* we find or- 

 tiiite, gadolinite, and yttro-tantalite : indeed, these, latter mi- 

 norals are more universally spread than is generally believed. 



• A fipecics of felspar in which the cleavage is very imperfect. 



