398 D. A. Wray— 



According to Cvijic^ this range marks the southern limit of theDinaric 

 folded system, for the Albanian (or Pindaric) system, distinguished 

 by its great development of " Flysch " with intrusive serpentines 

 and other basic igneous rocks peculiar to the Albanian system, 

 follows a north and south direction, eventually trending south-east 

 and east in Southern Greece and Crete. 



The area adjoining the Albanian gulf, corresponding broadly 

 with the Lower Drin valley, and which occurs between the Dinaric 

 and Albanian folded systems, has been shown to have been an area 

 of intense earth-movement ; and the former Austrian Survey ^ 

 record that from Spizza to beyond Budua the Dinaric range is cut 

 up by powerful thrusts into flakes which include the whole of the 

 stratified series from the Lower Trias to the Lower Tertiary inclusive, 

 thrust over one another in a south-westerly direction. The southern, 

 wall of the North Albanian Alps appears to be a line of fracture,^ 

 the linaestone wall (at the base of which occur thermal springs at 

 Drsnik and Banja) forming an abrupt northern face to the Drin 

 marshes. The prominent Scutari and Cattaro depressions occur in 

 this region of intense earth-movement, and here tectonic agencies 

 have been supreme in determining their outlines. The original 

 folds have been cut across by jDowerful fractures, so that in this 

 district the geological and orographic lines rarely correspond. 



Broadly speaking, the Western Balkans consist of a system of 

 broad arcs, with their concave sides facing eastwards. This arrange- 

 ment is well exemplified in the numerous Dalmatian islands and 

 straits which run parallel with the coast like a festoon. The effect 

 of these folds and their accompanying parallel fractures on the 

 physiography of the karstlands is everywhere strongly marked. 



The Origin of the Present Drainage System. 



It has already been pointed out that the main period of folding 

 and uplift of this region took place in early Miocene times ; con- 

 sequently the present drainage system originated in the late Miocene 

 or early Pliocene. The broad uplift along a main axial line parallel 

 to and close by the Dalmatian coast resulted in the drainage being 

 mainly diverted to the east into the Save and Danube basins. Thus 

 along the whole Illyrian coast there are practically no rivers of any 

 importance with the notable exception of the Narenta. The smaller 

 streams, the Zrmanja, Cikola, and Cetina, follow closely the strike 

 of the rocks ; and in marked contrast to the rivers of Albania (which 

 have large deltaic flats in their lower reaches), they enter the sea at 

 one end of long fjord-like deep-water channels, avoiding the broad 

 arms of the sea as estuaries. 



^ J. Cvijic, " Die dinarisch-albanische Scharung " : Sitzungsber. Akad. 

 Wissensch., Vienna, vol. ex, 1901, p. 31. 



* G. Von Bukowski, in Verh. k. k. geol. EeichsanstaU, Vienna, 1896, 

 pp. 95-191. 



^ J. Cvijic, op. eit., pj). 37 et seqq. 



