ALLUVIAL FORMATIONS, 291 



in the vicinity of Ulm, Mayence, Silesia, in Estremadura, 

 near Burgos, and other places in Spain. 



From the few observations we have made in the course 

 of our enumeration of the formations of Cuvier, it ap- 

 pears that some of his distinctions are unnecessary, and 

 that the whole of the formations may be more satisfac- 

 torily arranged in the following manner : 1 . Chalk. 2. 

 Plastic clay. 3. Limestone. 4. Gypsum. 5. Sandstone. 

 6. Flint and siliceous limestone. The names salt and 

 fresh water formations being hypothetical, ought to be 

 abandoned, and others expressive of some of the charac- 

 ters of the formation adopted in their stead, 



ELEVENTH FORMATION. 



diluvial. 



This appears also to be a deposite from fresh water. 

 It consists of sand of many different colours, marl, clay, 

 and even of mixtures of the whole three, which is inter- 

 mixed, and coloured brown and black with carbonaceous 

 matter, also of rolled masses of different kinds ; and what 

 particularly characterizes it, large trunks of trees, and 

 bones of elephants, oxen, deer, and other large mamma- 

 lia. Although this formation is new, in comparison* of 

 those we have just described, yet it is of high antiquity in 

 regard to man, as its formation extends to a period not 

 far removed from the earliest periods of our history, 

 when the earth supported vegetables and animals dif- 

 ferent from those that at present live in these or any 

 other countries on the globe. The alluvial substances 

 around Paris occur in two different situations, viz. first, 

 in the present valleys; and, secondly, on the plains. IB 

 valleys they either cover the bottom, and then they con- 

 sist of sand, loam, or peat ; or they form in them wide 



