MINERALOGY. 411 



confined to these rocks. Most of our cooking salt is pre- 

 pared from this species of rock salt. There is a lower 

 series of tertiary formation, lying directly beneath, or 

 forming the lowest strata of Conchylian Limestone 

 (Germ. Wellenkalk) , distinguished by its beautifully 

 waved veins and irregularly distributed lines, alternate 

 with marl, etc. 



The Bunter Sandstein New Red Sandstone of 

 English writers (Gres Bigarre of the French), which 

 forms the base of the Triassic system both in France and 

 Germany is a fine-grained, quartzose, sandy deposit, and 

 in some districts, where there is no representative of the 

 magnesian limestone, takes its place, and rests immedi- 

 ately on the Rot he todte-liegende. It is found in immense 

 rocky strata, mostly of a red color, but in many districts 

 exhibits a variegated mixture of red, blue, or greenish 

 tints, from which it derives its name. The grotesque 

 shapes assumed by the precipitous crags of this species 

 of rock is picturesque in the highest degree. 



FOURTH ORDER. 



TRANSITION FORMATION* 



Between the primitive and stratified mountain are 

 found extensive deposits which consist of alternating strata, 

 and present us with the first traces of the existence of 

 living beings, whose organic remains have been discov- 

 ered in a fossil state, entombed in certain of these forma- 

 tions whose antiquity dates back to this remote epoch. 



* Designated by modern geologists as the Primary Fossilifer- 

 ous Formation. Also called paleozoic, because they contain animal 

 remains. Tr. 



