Dr, Daubeny on ihe Geology of Sicily: 240 
breccia, which at the time I was disposed to identify with the 
breccia seen everywhere associated with the prece ing rock. 
At present, among the various omissions of which I accuse 
myself, but which the scantiness of accommodation, as well 
as the distraction of various objects, sometimes rendered un- 
avoidable, there is none | regret more than my not hayi 
fully made out the relations of the blue clay formation to the 
limestone which succeeds it between Terranuova and Cape 
Passero. 
1 am, upon the whole, inclinéd to view it as resting upon 
the’ latter ; but, on looking back to my notes, I must confes: 
that*I do not find myselt authorized to state this, on any, cer- 
tain grounds. 
-may however, express with more confidence, my_ belief, 
that the blue clay formation is of very recent date, belonging 
probably, to the Tertiary Epoch; and is not, as might be 
supposed, from the presence of salt and gypsum, related_to 
the new Red or Muriatiferous Sandstone of the north of Eu- 
rope. : 
There is nothing in the nature of its imbedded minerals to 
contradict such an opinion; for gypsum and selenite, sul- 
phur and sulphate of Strontian, are quite as characteristic of 
the Paris beds as of the secondary sandstone ; and common 
salt is said, by Steffens, to accompany the same rocks at the 
pegenere in Holstein; and, by Humboldt, in New Anda- 
usia.* 
My reasons for assigning to it this date are, its containing 
beds of blue limestone with shells, some of which (as Turri- 
tefl) seem to.bespeak a tertiary origin; its being accompa- 
nied, throughout its whole extent, by the recent breccia above 
noticed; and the probability that the amber of Sicily has 
been derived from this stratum,—a circumstance directly 
affirmed by Ferrara,t and favoured by the situations in whi 
this mineral is chiefly met with; namely, at the mouths of 
rivers which have flowed through this rock. 
* See Humboldt’s Personal Narrative, Vol. I. p. 262, English Trans- 
lation, and Steffen’s Geogn. Aufsatze, p. 142. The description of the mu- 
riatiferous clay of New Andalusia corresponds exactly with what we 
know of the blue clay of Sicily. 3 
+ Vide Ferrara Campi Flegrei. p: 29. 
