Geological Gleanings. 271 



the genera Myrtle, Laurel, and Pistachio, now living in Sicily. 

 These tuffs, together with the general mass of Etna, repose on 

 marine strata of the newer Pliocene period in which 150 species 

 of shells, nearly nine-tenths of them identical with species now ex- 

 isting in the Mediterranean, have been found. A very modern 

 marine breccia, with sbells of living species extending to the height 

 of thirty feet on the coast along the eastern base of Etna, was 

 pointed out to the author by Signor G.G-. Gemmellaro near Trezza, 

 and in the Island of the Cyclops. The same formation has been 

 traced together with lithoclomous perforations by Dr. Carlo Gem- 

 mellaro and Baron v. Waltershausen along the sea- shore as far 

 north as Taormina, beyond the volcanic region of Etna. From 

 these and other data enlarged upon in the memoir, Sir C. Lyell 

 concludes, first, that a very high antiquity must be assigned to the 

 successive eruptions of Etna, each phase of its volcanic energy, as 

 well as the excavation of the Val del Bove, having occupied a 

 lapse of ages compared to which the historical period is brief and 

 insignificant ; and secondly, that the growth of the whole mountain 

 must nevertheless be referred, geologically, to the more modern 

 part of the latest Tertiary epoch." 



4. Arctic Geology. — We are indebted to Silliman's Journal for 

 the following Summary of Prof. Haughton's classification of the 

 geological formations of Arctic America as observed in McClin- 

 tock's voyage. 



"(1.) Granitic or crystalline rocks : over eastern North Devon 

 long. 80°— 82^°, lat. 74£— 75f ° ; western North Somerset, near 

 long. 95° ; in scattered boulders over many other parts of the 

 islands. 



" (2.) Upper Silurian and Devonian : over the northern part of 

 Cockburn Island, 73°— 73f° N., and 75°— 90° W. ; the larger 

 part of North Somerset ; Cornwallis Island ; all but the eastern 

 part of North Devon. 



" (3.) Carboniferous limestone : over the islands or parts of 

 islands lying north of lat. 76°, from Grinnell Land on the east 

 (93° W.) to Prince Patrick Land on the west. This limestone 

 is stated to overlie the coal-bearing standstones. 



" (4.) The Coal-bearing sandstones(vekvTedto8ubcavbom{erous): 

 over the same islands as the limestone, but south of 76° : includ- 

 ing Bathurst Land, 7o°— 76° N., 99i°— 104° W. ; Melville 

 Island, from its southern shore to 75° 50' N. ; Byam Martin Island 

 between Bathurst and Melville ; part of Eglinton Id., west of Mel- 



