414 Original Articles. [ July, 
to be the formation most commonly met with in the low grounds; 
while Captain Spratt has given descriptions of similar strata occurring 
near Smyrna, and in Lycia, as well as in the Islands of Samos, Rhodes, 
Cos, Cerigo, &c.; but there is some confusion as to their probable 
age. Captain Spratt originally considered all of them to be of 
Eocene date, it being borne in mind, however, that when that opinion 
was published, the term ‘ Kocene’ included what is now known as 
Lower Miocene, and referred to under that name in these pages. 
With the assistance of Professor Forbes, this opinion was after- 
wards somewhat modified, the Smyrna beds being still retained as 
Eocene (=Lower Miocene), but the Lycian strata, as well as those of 
Cos and Rhodes, being considered newer. To the supposed age of 
these newer fresh-water beds I shall have occasion to refer presently 
at some length, as it bears very importantly upon the age of some of 
the fossils under consideration. 
Geology of the Eastern Mediterranean Region.—The Tertiary beds 
of Greece, of the Islands of the Archipelago, and of Asia Minor, are 
generally found reposing on the Apennine Limestone, or Scaglia, 
which is of Cretaceous age, or else abutting against it, the Scaglia 
in such cases forming the high land of the interior, and the Tertiary 
beds skirting it and facing the sea, and often extending to the coast. 
Some of these Tertiary strata contain marine remains, others include 
fresh-water (probably lacustrine) organisms, and the fossils figured in 
the Plate were probably from a brackish-water lake or estuary. 
For the better understanding of the subject it will, first of all, be 
necessary to give a synopsis of the argument which has been supposed 
to prove that the fresh-water beds of the Valley of the Xanthus, of 
Cos, and of Rhodes, are of Pliocene age, and for this purpose I must 
call in the aid of Professor Forbes and Captain Spratt.* 
Relative Age of the Marine and Fresh-water Strata of Lycia—In 
the Valleys of Xanthus and Kassabar there is a fresh-water formation 
supposed to be more recent than certain marine sandy strata, con- 
taining shells which also occur in the Upper Miocene beds of 
Bordeaux, Touraine, &c.; and the manner in which this is apparently 
proved may be thus stated. The valley of Xanthus is bounded on 
each side by hills of highly-inclined Scaglia, upon which rests con- 
formably a slightly newer deposit termed ‘Macigno.’ The floor of 
the valley consists of horizontal beds of marl, capped by conglomerate, 
and containing fresh-water fossils. High up on the hill-sides are 
patches of the marine formation in question, dipping west at a high 
angle, and it has been assumed to be the older, entirely on account of 
its being inclined, while the fresh-water beds are horizontal ; the order 
of events being—(1) its deposition horizontally over where the valley 
now is, (2) its tilting-up and entire denudation, and (3) the deposition 
of fresh-water beds in its place. Granting the assumed basis of the 
argument, the reasoning is perfectly correct. 
Furthermore, the Xanthus fossils are some of them identical with 
those occurring in the island of Cos, in a fresh-water formation forming 
* ¢Travelis in Lycia,’ vol. ii. p. 175. 
