268 O.SbEOLS BRECCIA, 



the vesicles are more or less completely filled with calca- 

 rious spar ; and the spar sometimes traverses the con- 

 glomerate in the form of veins, or is more or less inter- 

 mixed with it. Cuvier describes the osseous breccia of 

 different; tracts of country in the following order : 



1. Gibraltar. The mineralogical nature of this famous 

 rock is well known, from the excellent description of it 

 by our countryman Colonel Imrie. It is principally com- 

 posed of limestone, and is frequently traversed by fis- 

 sures, or hollowed into caves, in which the osseous brec- 

 cia is contained. Cuvier found in it the bones of a ru- 

 minating animal allied to the antelope, and of a smaller 

 animal of the order glires, which he conjectures maybe- 

 long to the genus lagomys. All the shells contained in 

 the breccia are fresh water or land species. 



2. Cette. The breccia in this tract, like that of Gib- 

 raltar, occurs in limestone. In it Cuvier found bones of 

 an animal not unlike the common rabbit; others of a 

 species one-third less than the common rabbit; also 

 bones of a species of mus, nearly allied to the field-mouse 

 (mus arvalis, Lin.) ; of a bird of the order passeres ; nu- 

 merous vertebras of a serpent somewhat resembling the 

 coluber natrix ; lastly, bones of a ruminating animal, pro- 

 bably of the same species as that found in the breccia of 

 Gibraltar. Shells also occur. Three kinds are mention- 

 ed, viz. two helices, and one pupa, and all of them land- 

 shells. 



3. Nice and Antibes. The limestone rocks of Nice con- 

 tain this osseous breccia. Cuvier found in it bones of 

 the horse, and of two species of ruminating animals. All 

 the shells it contains are land species. The lime- 



