Remarks on the Level of the Molasse in the Eastern Alps. 137 
highest point of the pass, between Carinthia and Italy, and 
find here the same formation again, nearly 3000 feet above the 
level of the sea, and shewing that the miocene Jtalian sea 
stood in uninterrupted communication with the gulfs or 
mediterranean districts of Carinthia and Carniola, by a long 
and narrow arm, crossing the precipitous chain of the Southern 
Alps, which rise in the Terglou,* to a height of 9000 feet. 
A narrow side arm of this long channel must have branched 
off from the valley of the Sava into the Wochein, a most 
picturesque site, representing a deep chasm in the stupen- 
dous limestone masses of the Terglou. For here, again, the 
same deposits are found at about 2500 feet above the sea, 
and what is of particular import, they contain here not 
only the usual impressions of land plants but also sea 
shells (Cerithium and Natica) ; so that it is quite certain 
that even here, in this most retired corner, the water was 
salt and in communication with the open sea. 
Everywhere, in all the known localities, one finds the same 
subdivisions of the formation. At the bottom, brown coal 
and marly schists, with fossil plants, mostly dicotyledonous ; 
as for example, at the celebrated locality of Parschlug in 
Upper Styria (Miirz Valley), where Professor Unger has 
found 142 different species, all extinct, but very similar to 
such as grow now in the southern parts of North America. 
Next follow grey micaceous sandstones, true molasse, gene- 
rally passing into and covered by more or less coarse con- 
glomerates. It is thus clear, that we have everywhere the 
same parallel strata deposited contemporaneously in one and 
the same sea, not only skirting the outer flanks of the Alps, 
but reaching far inland into all their depressions and even 
crossing the chain by those passes, which at present are not 
higher than 3000 feet, thus forming a most complete ford 
region (or frith region), as is more clearly illustrated by a 
map coloured to the purpose. 
Now comes the question. Whence does the considerable 
difference in the known levels of the formation arise, a dif- 
ference attaining not only as before seen 1500 feet, but which 
* Terglou or Triglou, Slavonian tri-glava, three heads. 
