410 ON THE ALLUVIUM OF THE PO. 



low the external edge, and the fissure being filled up with 

 limestone, now presents itself as a dark -coloured straight 

 line. The portion of the stone which contained part of 

 the bones of the tarsus and metatarsus, was unfortunate- 

 ly broken ; but the separate fragments are preserved. 



" The whole of the bones, when first laid bare, had a 

 mouldering appearance, and the hard surrounding stone 

 could not be detached without frequently injuring their 

 surface ; but after an exposure for some days to the air, 

 they acquired a considerable degree of hardness. Sir H. 

 Davy, who subjected a small portion of them to chemi- 

 cal analysis, found that they contained part of their ani- 

 mal matter, and all their phosphate of lime.*" 



NOTE M, p. 128. 



Account of the Displacement of that part of the Coast 

 of the Adriatic which is occupied by the Mouths of 

 the Po. 



THAT portion of the shore of the Adriatic which lies 

 between the lake, or rather lagune, of Commachio, and 

 the lagunes of Venice, has undergone considerable alte- 

 rations since ancient times, as is attested by authors wor- 

 thy of entire credit, and as is still evinced by the actual 

 state of the soil in the districts near the coast ; but it is 

 impossible now to give any exact detail of the successive 

 progress of these changes, and more especially of their 

 precise measures during the ages which preceded the 

 twelfth century of our era. 



