J. H. Cooke — Globigerina Limestones of Malta. 507 



Carbonate of lime 51 - 70 



Phosphate of lime 41-46 



Peroxide of iron ... ... ... ... ... 1-82 



Insoluble siliceous matter 3-55 



Moisture, etc 1*47 



100-00 



This seam is specially interesting, as it seems to mark the line 

 of demarcation between the Langhian and the Aquitanian series. 

 It is not so fossiliferous as the other phosphate seams. Pecten 

 denudatus and Aturia aturii, which are so characteristic of and 

 prevalent, in the overlying beds, are neither found here nor in any 

 of the strata beneath. Teeth and bones of Phoca mgosidens, Owen, 

 were obtained from this horizon in the neighbourhood of Marsa 

 Forno, Gozo. Peutacrinus Gastaldi, Scalpellum Melitensis, Troclto- 

 cijathus latero-cristatus, T. pyramidatus, T. vericostatus, several 

 species of Flabellum, and Stephanocyathus, 1 are ver-y abundant. 



Division H. — This bed of limestone constitutes a considerable 

 bulk of the series that represent the Maltese Aquitanian. It varies 

 from 50 to 80 feet in thickness, and it crops out in every valley and 

 cliff in the two islands. The general character of the bed is that 

 of a yellowish-grey limestone. Sections of the rock under the 

 microscope show it to be made up almost entirely of the calcareous 

 skeletons of foraminifera, among which those of the Globigerina?, 

 Textularire, Uvigerinae, and Orbulinas are the most numerous. 

 Minute grains of glauconite, granules of oxide of iron, and curiously- 

 formed nodular masses of manganese having radiating arms of the 

 same mineral, are also abundant. 



Coccoliths and rhabdoliths are also present, and like those con- 

 tained in the Pietra Leccese and in the Sicilian rocks (Ragusa) they 

 are of forms similar to those that have been collected in the Adriatic 

 in depths of from 500 to 700 fathoms and described by Schmidt. 3 

 This limestone is remarkable for the change in the fauna which 

 manifests itself. Scutella striatula, Thecidium Adamsi, Hetero- 

 stegina Stricklandi, Cidaris Scillce, and JEchinolampas piosterolatus, 

 occur sparingly ; but they have not been found in any of 

 the overlying beds. Towards the base of this bed, as well as in 

 phosphate seam iv and in the transition bed at Ricasoli, they are 

 very abundant. A considerable number of fish-remains have been 

 obtained from this horizon in the quarries at Luca. During the 

 governorship of Sir William Eeid many of them were figured ; but 

 the illustrations were not sufficiently accurate to render them of 

 much scientific value. These illustrations, as well as the original 

 fossils, are now in the Valetta Museum, but the latter are in a very 

 indifferent condition. .Spratt 3 has recorded the occurrence in this 

 bed of a fossil turtle; and at St. Julians and Dingli the teeth and 



1 I am indebted to Professor Angelli, of Eome, for the determination of the 

 corals. 



2 Capellini, G., " Delia Pietra Leccese e di Alcuni suoi Fossili," Bologna. 



3 Spratt, T., " On the Geology of Malta," Valetta, 1854. 



