Contributions to tbe Fossil Qnarternary Flora of Cyprus. 



197 



Prof. Dr. R. v. Wettstein, to whom I will offer my respectful thanks for all valuable assistance rendered 

 me on that occasion. 



The number of species represented in the tufa is by far not so g-reat as might be suggested from 

 the immense masses of remains of some of them. J5ut nevertheless the deposit is in possession of con- 

 siderable interest, being the only occurrence of fossil (Juarternary plants hithcito known in Cyprus, and 

 I will, therefore, give here a short account of my researches. 



When following the carriage-road from Nikosia to Kyi'enia, at a shoi't distance north of the highest 

 defile over the mountain-range, the traveller enters into a small and rather narrow valley with steep sides. 

 The valley runs almost exactly from H towards N. About 3 English miles from Kyrcnia the road passes 

 through the tufa-deposit, which will be described in the present chapter. The exact name of the locality 

 was indicated by my Turkish guide, the mukhtar of Agridhi, to be Kazan. 



The whole deposit is situated on the westei'n ^ 



side of the valley. On the other side of the rivulet 1 2 



could not find any truces of tufa. 'f 



At a length of almost 100 m. the tufa forms a ^ 



peipendicular brink, up to 14.5 m. iiigh, along the river. 

 This excellent piofile has evidently been produced by the 

 eroding powers of the rivulet at the bottom of the valley. 

 In the lower -/s of the total mighliness of the tufa the 

 layers are strongly wavy, and are laised on edge, declining 

 northwards at an angle of up to 50°. The upper layers 

 are of a much looser coasistence, and are arranged quite 

 horizontally. 



Through these latter youngest layers the new 

 road has cut a veiy instructive prolil, 2 or 3 meters 

 deep, and the plant-remains contained in them can be 

 easily examined. On the other hand, the middler and lower 

 layers arc, on account of the numerous large loose over- 

 hanging pieces of tufa, only in part and with difficulty 

 accessible, and the approach is not quite free fi'om danger. 



From the tufa-biink down to the river there is 

 a declivity of loose materials rushed down, with scattered 

 pieces of tufa. Ovci' the bi'ink there is again a stratum 

 of gravel and stones, which are so densely cemented 

 together, that this deposit almost obtains the consistence of a conglomerate. There can, however, be little 

 doubt that these materials have originally i-ushed down from the steep rocks of limestone above the place. 



Tlie further circumstances with regard to the site of the tufa-bed will be best understood from 

 the aspect of the photograph (Fig. 63) and the schematical .section (Fig. 04). The photograph has been 

 taken from a point on the opposite side of the valley; the tufa-bed is hci'e visible as a perpendicular brink 

 without vegetation, stretching almost across the picture. 



The actual vegetation on the slopes in the vicinity of the tufa has a prominently xerophilous'char-actei'. 

 Of trees there are scattered specimens of Ceratonia Siliqiia, Olm europam, Ciqrressus sempervirais and 

 Pbuis huh'pcntt'ii. but none of them attains to any considerable dimension. Among the shrubs Fistucin 

 Tcrelnnthns and P. Lentiacns, Arhutus Andrachrw, etc. are the most conspicuous species. 



The height above the sea may be estimated to be ca. 24o m. (800 Engl. feet). 



I made collections of fossils at three different levels, viz.: 



Fig. H4. 



Sclieinatical Seftion tlinm;;h the Tul'a-liriuk 

 at Kazan. 



