138 Mr. H. E. Strickland on the Geology of Asia Minof. 



The existence of a tertiary marine formation on the shores 

 of the Darilanelles was made known nearly half a century ago 

 by Olivier, a scientific zoologist, who recognised in this plio- 

 cene deposit many existing species of Mediterranean shells, 

 the names of which he has enumerated. 



The slaty rocks of the Thracian Bosphorus, flanked by 

 volcanic rocks on the north and by tertiary beds on the south- 

 west, have long been known. The occurrence of fossils in 

 the former rocks was noticed by Fontanier [Voyages en Orient), 

 In 18S6 Mr. W.J. Hamilton and myself proved, by means of 

 these fossils, that the formation was Silurian; and in a paper 

 by myself in the Transactions of the Geological Society, vol. v., 

 On the' Geology of the Thracian Bosphorus, the district be- 

 tween the sea of Marmora and ihe Euxine is described in 

 some detail. In the following year the same region was ex- 

 plored by M. de Verneuil, whose researches (published in the 

 Bull. Soc. Geol. de Fraiice) entirely confirm those which we 

 had previously made. 



The vicinity of Smyrna was geologically explored by Mr. 

 Hamilton and myself during the winter of 1835-36, and the 

 results are given in my memoir on that district (Geol. Trans., 

 vol. v.). In this paper will be found the first attempt at a 

 classification of the geological formations of Asia Minor. 



This classification is further carried out in a joint memoir 

 which we published in the Geol. Trans, vol. vi.. On the Geo- 

 logy of the western part of Asia Minor, in which we described 

 the southern shores of the sea of Marmora, the valleys of the 

 Macestus, the Rhyndacus, the Hermus, the Cayster and the 

 Meander, besides giving short notices of Erythrae, Boodroom, 

 Cnidus and Rhodes. The most interesting of the districts 

 here described is unquestionably the Catacecaumene, the vol- 

 canic phaenomena of which were illustrated by coloured maps, 

 sections and landscapes. 



After my return to England Mr. Hamilton penetrated to 

 Armenia, and returned through the interior of Asia Minor to 

 Smyrna, during the whole of which lengthened journey he 

 kept careful notes of all the geological phaenomena which came 

 in his way. These facts will be found duly recorded in his 

 work entitled " Researches in Asia Minor, Pontus and Arme- 

 nia, with some Account of their Antiquities and Geology." 

 The same journey supplied him with the materials for his 

 memoir in the Geol. Trans., On the Geology of part of Asia 

 Minor between the Salt Lake of Kodj-hissar, and Csesarea of 

 Cappadocia, with a description of Mount Argaeus. The 

 latter mountain was ascended by Mr. Hamilton, and its height 

 ascertained by the barometer. 



