306 ON THE ELEVATED SUBMARINE ALLUVIA. 



antient volcanoes in that country, we need be at no 

 loss in assigning reasons for disturbances and ano- 

 malies in the appearances of the superficial strata. 



The proposed explanation of these appearances is 

 perhaps already obvious to the reader. It is that 

 Italy in general, is covered by one marine stratum in 

 which the organic remains lie in an alluvial bed, un- 

 transported and undisturbed; and that, above this, 

 there lies a terrestrial stratum, however originating, 

 and analogous to those of other countries, which con- 

 tains the remains of land animals, similarly analogous, 

 in all respects, to those which are found in most other 

 parts of Europe. 



It remains to explain this state of things, or to give 

 a theory of the alluvial deposits of Italy. That theory, 

 if just, ought to be applicable to similar cases of marine 

 alluvia found high above the level of the sea, should 

 such hereafter be discovered in other places; and it 

 will thus furnish us with a new key for the solution 

 of a certain set of geological phenomena, for which 

 no other branch of any of the general theories pro- 

 vides an adequate explanation. It is important to 

 remark how accurately this partial theory ramifies 

 from the general one here adopted respecting the 

 present positions of strata; and how valuable a test 

 of any theory it is, to be thus provided with the means 

 of explaining appearances that could not have been 

 anticipated when it was formed. Had Lazzaro Moro 

 taken a wider and more accurate view of the circum- 

 stances by which he was surrounded, the present ex- 

 planation would not have been required. 



In the phenomena that have been described in the 

 eighth Chapter, the positions of solid rocks alone, 

 containing marine remains, were examined, and the 

 causes assigned, as far as the appearances permitted. 



