680 G. M. MURGOCI 



They consist of sands and loose sandstones, with large crystals of 

 gypsum, and of a few sandy marls and conglomerates, and they lie 

 conformably on the similar formations of the Oligocene. In a valley 

 in the west part of the village of Gura Vai, I have found in these beds 

 Cerithium plicatum Brug ( ?) var. papillatum Sabba), Cerithium mar- 

 garitaceum Brocc, etc. 



I may add, as a result of my last summer's study, that the Burdi- 

 galian layers of Fantanele, Ponoare, and Balta form a narrow con- 

 tinuous zone, a Mediterranean fjord, in the high plateau of Mehedinti, 

 The Bahna basin is of course the continuation of this zone, though 

 separated by a strong later erosion. The layers of Ponoare, with 

 some thin lignite seams, very often show a strong efflorescence of salt, 

 etc., like those from Gura Vai. 



Bearing in mind the presence of Cerithium plicatum in the other 

 basins, and of bituminous coal at Gura Vai, just as in Bahna, and the 

 Balta, etc., Basin, and more especially noticing some nuances of 

 Cerithium mar garitaceum (to use Professor Laskaroff's expression), 

 we have reason to consider these beds to belong to the / Mediter- 

 ranean layers. They reach westward to Cheia, and on the east they 

 cross the Olt and extend to Daesti, etc. Some salt efflorescences 

 may be mentioned as occurring in the sand marls at the Bogdanesti 

 bridge, etc. 



D. SALT FORMATION 



There follows on the Cerithium plicatum strata in the Olt valley and 

 westward a complex of marly, sandy formation which often lies 

 unconformably on the Oligocene, and which is characterized through- 

 out its whole extent by a well-marked saline efflorescence, by salt 

 springs, and by a dacite tuff, the palla of the Hungarian geologists. 

 In the true salt formation I found no fossils, but some found in 

 higher strata indicate either Tortonian or the lowest Sarmatian 

 strata, so that the salt formation would be intercalated between the 

 Burdigalian and the Sarmatian. It has two petrographical features 

 of great importance — the repeated palla beds, and the great salt 

 massif of Ocnele Mari. In his sketch Sabba Stefanescu figures the 

 salt as Helvetian (Subcarpathian salt formation), but without further 

 description. However, on considering facies, tectonic, presence of 

 palla, and indications given by the salt, I came to the conclusion that 



