Reviews — Von Sochstetter's European Turkey. 469 



From the Black Sea to Sliwno Cretaceous rocks, intersected by- 

 porphyries, form the sonthem steep slopes of the Balkany. To the 

 west of Sliwno we find Granite and Gneiss, whilst between Tschipka 

 and Slatica mica schists and clay slate form the Balkany. Lastly, 

 the northern rim of the basin of Sofia consists of Triassic sandstone 

 and limestone. 



The Isker (with its springs in the Eilo-Dagh) intersects the whole 

 Balkany from south to north, dividing this mountain system in a 

 western and eastern portion. The western portion is a perfect 

 terra incognita to geologists, as well as to geographers. In the fol- 

 lowing notice only the eastern portion is referred to. The highest 

 points of the Balkany, the Kodscha or Weliki-Balkany belong to 

 this eastern half, with elevations above 2800 metres. 



Miocene deposits. — Sarmatian group ( Ceritliium beds), These de- 

 posits are limited to the valleys of the Wid and Osma (south of 

 Nikopoli) and to the neighbourhood of Warna, near the coast of the 

 Black Sea. They occur also in the Dobrudscha. 



Mediterranean group (Leitha limestone and Baden clay). — Under- 

 lying the Sarmatian group we find, near Plewna, almost horizontally 

 stratified beds of a white limestone, rich in corals and other fossils 

 (Pectuncidus, etc., etc.), resembling in every respect the Leitha lime- 

 stone of the Vienna basin. In the valley of the Wid bluish grey 

 clay is observed under this limestone, which contains many fossils 

 in excellent condition, scarcely to be distinguished from those of 

 the Baden clay in the Vienna basin. The following list gives the 

 most important, namely : — 



Conus Duja7'dini. Cassis texta. 



,, No'e. Area diluvii. 



Mostellaria pes-pelicani. Venus multilamella. 



Ancillaria glandiformis. Dentalium elephantanum. 



Plenrotoma asperulata. Flabellwn cuneatum. 



Tiirritella Vindohonensis. TurbinoUa duodecem-costata. 



Cyprcea pyrum. 



And a great many Foraminifera. 



The Mediterranean-Indian sea must have communicated with the 

 Bulgarian basin through a passage which most probably was situ- 

 ated northwards of the passage of the Danube through the Banat 

 mountains, as there the late Dr. N. Schloenbach found Neogen de- 

 posits at a height of 600 metres above the level of the sea, at the 

 watershed of the Almasch and Tscherna. 



Cretaceous formation. — Upper Cretaceous strata. — South of Plewna 

 Von Hochstetter observed a system of limestones with hornstones, 

 partly dolomitic and porous. He observed in it remains of Exogyra, 

 Belemnites, Ananchjtes, Bhynchonella, etc., etc., and near Schumla 

 Ostrea vesictdaris, Inoceramus lahiatus, Pecten quinque-costaius, Exogyra 

 columba, corals, etc., etc. 



Near Jenikioi, white Planer marls were observed with Belemnites 

 subfusimis, Easp., Ammonites, etc. These Upper Cretaceous strata 

 possess a North-European character, whilst the 



Middle Cretaceous deposits (with Orbitidites) , of a Kai-pathian sand- 

 stone like appearance, with thin beds of coal (Gault), partly at 

 least closely resemble the North-Kai-pathian sandstone zone. 



