362 NOTES ON THE GEOLOGY 



the name of flint, Nos. 72 to 76, appear to be rather chert or horn- 

 stone passing into flint. 



The organic remains found on Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon 

 are considerably numerous, and quite interesting. The most so, 

 probably, are the fossil fishes from Hakil, on Lebanon. They are 

 found on a light-colored marl slate, resembling that of Monte 

 Bolca, fliough harder, (No. 91.) They are usually rather small, 

 and have decidedly homocercal tails, as we should expect. But 

 I need not dwell upon them, since they have been described by 

 Agassiz, in his Poissons Fossiles, and referred to the cretaceous 

 formation. At Alich, on the same mountain, occur numerous 

 specimens of the nuclei of at least two species of Venus (Nos. 

 647 to 653) ; also of an Isocardia, (No. 654,) perhaps the mini- 

 ma ( Gold fuss, Tab. 140, fig. 18) ; alsp of an Area (No, 655) ; 

 also of a Strombus (Nos. 656, 657) ; also of a Rostellaria (Nos. 

 658, 659, 660, Goldfuss, Tab. 170, fig. 6); also of a Natica? 

 (No. 661 ;) also of a Spatangus, (No. 662, Goldfuss, Tab. 46, 

 fig. 2.) No. 40 is a Caryophyllia from Lebanon ; No. 51 an 

 Hippurites from Ain Nab, on that mountain ; and No. 52 a large 

 species of Terebra from Babda, on the same. Many of these may 

 be new species ; but I do not feel competent to decide that ques- 

 tion without access to more numerous authorities than are at 

 present within my reach. 



The siliceous nodules occurring in the middle group of lime- 

 stones of Lebanon, are often very fine and beautiful. Some of 

 them, as Nos. 62, 63, and 334, appear externally rough, and de- 

 void of all beauty. But, on breaking them open, they present 

 rich geodes of crystallized quartz, with crystals of calcareous spar, 

 sometimes implanted upon the quartz. Those which I have seen 

 vary in size, from that of a man's fist to that of his head. From 

 the number sent to this country, I infer that they are very abun- 

 dant. Another variety consists of fine geodes of chalcedony. 

 No. 58, which is six or eight inches in diameter, is found a litfle 

 northwest of Safet, where it is very abundant. This is a region, 

 as we shall shortly see, where volcanic action has been power- 

 ful ; but whether this has any connection with the production of 

 the chalcedony, I know not ; for these geodes appear to have 



