THE 
AMERICAN 
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, &c. 
GEOLOGY, MINERALOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, &. 
—— 
Art. I.—Notices of the Geology and Mineralogy of Sicily, 
from a Work entitled* Storia Naturale della Sicilia, Cat. 
1813; del. 46. F. Ferrara. Translated and condensed 
by dives G. Percivat. 
Tue Geology of Sicily embraces three very distinct for- 
mations, viz. the Primitive formation of granite, gneiss, 
mica-slate and argillite, having its centre in the mountains 
of Pelorus, and thence extending westward, on the N. of | 
f£1na, towards the centre of the island—-the Secondary Lime- 
stone formation, covering the eastern slope of the moun- 
tains of Pelorus, and all the rest of the island, not occupied 
by the rocks of the primitive formation, nor by the products 
of volcanoes,—and, lastly, the Volcanic products of tna 
and a line of extinct volcanoes extending S. through Val 
di Noto to Cape Passaro. 
The Granite is confined to the mountains of Pelorus, a 
chain extending N. by W. from Taormina, at the N. E. foot 
of AXtna, to Cape Milazzo, on the N. coast of the island. It 
forms the centre and base of these mountains, and is cov- 
ered, particularly on their E. slope, and even to their sum- 
mits, by limestone. The W. front is steeper, and the gran- 
ite is there uncovered, as well as in the numerous valleys 
and ravines of the chain. These mountains correspond 
exactly to the granite mountains of Calabria, on the oppo- 
site side of the Faro; and it is evident to the observer, 
that the Appenines there bend W. and after being inter- 
rupted by the Faro, terminate at last in the mountains of 
* Received from the Author by the Editor. 
