fi 



CfTANTS AKD PIGMIE?,. 



43; 



Lyoll 

 J intro- 



— less 

 1('(1 on 

 'Mitical 

 'il, fiiul 

 wever, 

 ivision 

 es the 

 e have 

 "iff Xos. 



^'e ohserve another quarry in the middle of a field. We wend 

 onr way thither, and are much gratified with the spectncle of a 

 fine exposure of rocks — the qi'.arrj' men at work and every- 

 thin<jr fresh and clean. On the top, as at the other quarry, is tk 

 considerahle thickness of soil ahove a bed of limestone and 

 another solid stratum (bed) beneath. A thin bed of sand ia 

 observed between the two solid strata. We descend tho' 

 quarry. With our pick we bring out the sand with its multi- 

 tude of Cerltliia, Mftlant'a, &o., — all as fresh as if on the 

 seashore. The underlying bed is found to be g7'es, of which- 

 the causeway stones of Paris are ma<le. lliese are seen ready, 

 fo the pavier at the top of the quarry. We consider that wo 

 have made two important discoveries, snJiks and r//r.s\ The 

 nummulites are not found here associated with the Sables do' 

 Beauchamp. llT. Hebert, however, reports saiuls as occurring' 

 elsewhere having the characteristic shells of these sands afe 

 Diablerets, Nice, Biarritz, (i'c, with overlying nummulites 

 (superieur). We have thus indicated their position in the 

 I'aris Basin. These investigations were iu themselves very 

 interesting. Tliey are of very great interest and importance in- 

 their relation to the formation of the moimtain systems ii> 

 which we have found the nummulites forming so prominent » 

 part. The representative system is that of the Pyrenees. '• 



It is subject of contention with geologists, whether the 

 elevations took plact; after the formation of the lower or upper 

 nummulitic deposits of the Paris Basin. We are disposed to 

 agree with Elie de Beaumont, Hebert and others, in holding^ 

 the latter view, and in considering the middle or upper Eocene 

 to bo the Period when the (nummulitic) Cretaceous and 

 Jurassic formation of Europe, Africa and Asia attained to 

 their lofty positions as well as humble, subaiirial. 



We regard this as esscntialhj the great mountain forming- 

 " Period of the Earth's history in both Eastern and WeMerrh 

 Ihmispheres" and regard the past as " liefore the mountains 

 were settled, before the hills were brought forth. While as 

 yet Ho had not made the earth nor the fields (open places^ 

 xiargin} aor the highest part (chiel pact^ margin) oi tko dusll 



