Trof. E. R. Leiok — Localities for Fossil Fish in the Lebanon. 219 



and narrow ravine with precipitous sides. The regular road then 

 crosses a little bridge, and bending west again begins to ascend the 

 steep hill-side opposite ; but we, who are in search of the fish locality, 

 do not cross the bridge. We pass through the village on the right 

 of a little stream, which in winter is a torrent, and follow the valley 

 towards its head. The valley enlarges a little now, and allows of 

 the cultivation of a few small fig and mulberry orchards. We cross 

 the stream, and go up the valley a distance of nearly a mile, when 

 the sides of the valley again draw near together, and the valley 

 itself becomes choked by large masses of rock which have fallen 

 down from the precipitous sides. On our left as we ascend, the 

 strata are regularly superposed, and the water has exposed a fine 

 section to view ; but on the right the character of the hill-side has 

 changed, and it seems a confused mass of debris. Passing through 

 the fallen masses which choke the valley where our tent is pitched, 

 we cross the stream again to the right of the valley going up, begin 

 to ascend diagonally, and find ourselves clambering over steeply 

 inclined strata. The valley becomes here a large amphitheatre, 

 narrowed below and above, and widening in the middle ; it, at the 

 same time, makes an abrupt turn to the left, and assumes a direction 

 nearly N.E. and S.W. On the right (still going up the valley) the 

 strata far above our heads correspond to those on the opposite side, 

 but where we are standing, the strata are so much inclined that it 

 is difficult to walk upon them, and this inclination extends from 

 high up the hill-side down to the valley. The broken fragments 

 upon the surface begin to exhibit their contents, and weather-worn 

 specimens of Clupea brevissima, Blain. ; Clupea Bottce, Pict. et Humb. ; 

 with an occasional fragment of EurypTiolis Boissieri, Pict., become 

 more and more common, until, at a distance of ten minutes' walk 

 from where we left the little stream, we reach the field of operation. 

 All around are the evidences that collectors have preceded us. If, 

 now, we examine our surroundings carefully, we begin to understand 

 the situation. The valley is one of erosion. On the northern side 

 opposite us, the superposed strata show the action of water, and 

 reveal the difierent levels of the old river-bed. A hard resisting 

 stratum projects at various heights, with a more easily disintegrated 

 stratum or series of strata beneath, which, have been washed away to 

 quite a depth in the hill-side. The same action of water has taken 

 place below where we are standing, and undermined the whole area, 

 and the fish-bearing strata have fallen down and rest where they 

 now are, a broken precipitous mass of debris. This fact, so far as I 

 know, has never been alluded to. M. Humbert sj)eaks of the fact 

 of the steep inclination of the strata, and says that this inclination 

 has occasioned landslips, and rendered stratigraphical observation 

 difficult, but he does not seem to suggest that the " steep inclination " 

 was occasioned by undermining and a consequent landfall. I have 

 not much doubt in my own mind that such is the fact. 



Sahel Alma is nearer Beirut, and may be visited from the latter 

 place in one day, with an allowance of two or three hours at the 

 locality. We leave Beirut early, pass by the traditional site of St. 



