TUAXSACTIONS OF SECTION C. 641 



therefore equally difficult to detenuiue the direction of the dip. Certainly the 

 limestone is inclined at a high angle, and the general direction of the dip appears 

 to be towards the north. 



Above the compact limestone is a band of -white schistoze limestone. This 

 rock is fissile and joint V, splitting up into small fragments. It lies between the 

 base of the Konnos, and the Mount Hilarion limestone. 



'Konnos' is the term applied by the Cypriots to the rocks which occupy the 

 country flanking the limestone crags. It is' pronounced Kornos. The local name 

 is adopted, as it means chalky-like, and therefore convej's some idea of the calca- 

 reous nature of the beds to which the term is applied. 



The base of the ' Konnos ' is a breccia composed of large angular fragments of 

 limestone, this passes up into a conglomerate, and this again into beds of cal- 

 careous grey shales, with calcareous sandy bands, or beds of calcareous sandstone. 

 The sandy bands are generally from a few inches up to two feet thick, but 

 are very regular and continuous. The soft character of these rocks renders the 

 •work of subaerial denudation easy. The water, from the springs, and from the 

 periodical rains, has cut deep and narrow gorges through the konnos, leaving- 

 sharp ridges between the ravines. It is the intersection of these ridges with each 

 other which give to the districts which they occupy the appearance of a o-reat 

 series of small conical mounds. 



On the north side of the range the dip is generally to the north. On the south 

 side the inclination is also northwards for some distance, southwards from the 

 central ridge, but afterwards the beds lie in a series of rolls, the axes of which are 

 more or less parallel to the central axis of the mountain-chain. There are another 

 set of undulations at right angles to the strike cf the strata. Here then we have 

 evidence that ' konnos ' has been subjected to pre.ssure, acting at right angles and 

 to pressure acting parallel, to the axis of greatest upheaval. 



At the base of the Idalian beds on the tlanks of the Troodos, there occasionally 

 occurs a thin band of brown shale, in which are large concretionary lumps of dark- 

 coloured chert. 



This is followed by the white chalky rocks of the hills of Idalia, hence the 

 name Idalian Beds. In general tlie Idalian Beds consist of thin-bedded white 

 chalky-like Hags much jointed. The layers are from one inch to one foot thick, 

 but occasionally some of the bands are three or four feet in thickness. 



Amongst these rocks are found irregular deposits of s'ypsum. The gypsum 

 occurs as selenite in a matrix of gypsum, and as gypseous flags. The flags split up 

 into thin layers and yield excellent pavement. 



Near the base, the Idalian Beds contain bands of grey chert, and, in proximity 

 to the volcanic rock, the white rocks assume a pinkish colour. 



Any fossils which have been obtained from this series of rocks are of Miocene 

 age, but still are scarcely sufficient to determine satisfactorily the exact age of the 

 strata in which they are contained. 



In the valleys of the rivers Morphu and Pidias, the Idalian Beds pass up into 

 the shales and sands which I have named the Nicosia Beds. 



The Nicosia Beds are well-developed in the central valley, and consist of blue cal- 

 careous clays, brown sandy shales, bands of calcareous sandstone, and conglome- 

 rates. The fossils are very abundant and mostly belonging to the Pliocene period. 



Some of the calcareous sandstone bands very closely resemble the Kerynia 

 Ilock ; but the real equivalent of this rock is the yellow calcareous sandstone cap- 

 ping the hills in the neighbourhood of Nicosia and Athienu. At Kerynia, the 

 lower beds do not exist, and the Kerynia Bock rests unconforniably on the ' Kon- 

 nos.' This rock is a yellow calcareous sandstone, or shelly limestone. It is here 

 generally termed a sandstone, because in general appearance and formation it 

 more resembles sandstone than limestone. It is from the Kerynia liock that the 

 building stone used in the island is chiefly obtained. 



Deposits of calcareous tuff and traventine occur on the flanks of the mountains. 

 In most cases the character of these beds is easily recognisable, but in some in- 

 stances they scarcely differ from compact limestone. 



Old river-gravels cover a considerable area on the south side of the central vallev 



1881. T T 



