550 W. F. Hume — Notes on Mussian Geology. 



Tertiary series. Also along a certain definite line running to the 

 north of these governments, it rests upon the Boulder-clays and 

 sands of the Glacial period. 



Owing to the numerous studies to wliich this superficial formation 

 has given rise, its special charactei'istics have been clearly defined, 

 and have generally proved applicable to Loess in every region of 

 the globe where it is known to occur. These may be briefly 

 summarized as follows : — 



Similarity in the size of the component grains. 



Want of stratification. 



Capillary texture and perpendicular cleavage. 



Large amount of carbonate of lime present, either as nodules, as a 

 cementing material, or coating the inner cavities of decayed roots. 



Presence of land-shells and Mammalian remains. 



The Russian Loess may be defined as a yellow-brown sandy clay, 

 very often rich in grains of quartz and flakes of mica, extremely 

 compact when an attempt is made to dislodge it in large pieces ; 

 yet so loosely aggregated as to flow through the fingers on the 

 slightest friction. There are, however, secondary additions of very 

 great importance, amongst which humus and carbonate of lime hold 

 the most prominent place. In pursuing the subject, I propose to 

 take the facts in the order in which I have observed them, reserving 

 a discussion of the theoretical conceptions arising therefrom to the 

 end of the paper. 



The town of Kiefif is not only remarkable as the centre of the 

 Greek Church, the spiritual metropolis to which the heart (and 

 generally the steps) of every true orthodox Russian turns during 

 some period of his lifetime, but is also of a peculiar interest from 

 a geological standpoint, owing to the magnificent sections which are 

 hei'e exposed to view. I had the additional advantage of being 

 conducted to the principal points of interest by Prof. Armachevsky, 

 of KiefF University, who, with the kindness so often to be met with 

 in Russia, took a large amount of trouble in introducing the various 

 geological features to be seen in the neighbourhood. It may be 

 briefly stated that the exposures display a complete view of the West 

 Russian Tertiary and Quarternary strata, and serve as a good index 

 to the beds of similar character which cover the greater part of 

 Central South Russia. 



The town itself is situated on high ground, 300 feet above the 

 river Dnieper, the frontage to the river being formed by a steep cliff 

 like escarpment. The summit is covered by 70 feet of Loess, which 

 itself overlies a considerable thickness of glacial clays filled with 

 boulders derived from Scandinavia and Finland. This evidence of 

 the relative age of the two deposits is of some interest as bearing 

 upon the origin of the former. A similar relationship has been 

 frequently observed in other countries ; Fallou noticed it in Saxon}'', 

 while Foetterle (Verhand K. K. Reichsanstalt, 1889, pp. 102-104), 

 Stur and Wolff have remarked the same in Galicia. Whilst in general 

 the quartz-grains enclosed in the Loess are similar in size, exceptions 

 are not unfrequent. Thus at Kieff larger rounded grains occur, 



