94 



of twenty miles out at sea; and on the Knoll-sand the tusk of a Mam- 

 moth (drawings of which are annexed to this letter) was found in the 

 year 1826, resembling those recently brought to England from 

 Behring's Straits. 



Jan. 16. — An Appendix was read to Mr. De laBeche's Paper, on the 

 Geology of Nice, by the Rev. W. Buckland, D.D. &c. &c. &c. 



After bearing testimony to the correctness of the description given 

 by Mr. De la Beche of the immediate neighbourhood of Nice, the 

 author communicates his own observations made along the high road 

 from that city to the Col deTende, for the distance of about fifty miles. 



The hill on the south of Scarena, twelve miles N.E. of Nice, pre- 

 sents a section of the green-sand formation, with nummulites, turri- 

 lites, and its other usual fossils, alternately with compact gray-lime- 

 stone destitute of fossils. At Mont Brause the same beds of green- 

 sand occur loaded with ammonites and belemnites. 



On the descent to Sospello are found, in a regular descending se- 

 ries, green-sand, Jura, oolitic (or younger Alpine) limestone, lias, red- 

 marle, and older Alpine limestone or dolomite, abounding in rauch- 

 wacke, and with vast beds of gypsum ; on the N. of Brais mountain, 

 is a similar section, at least 1500 feet in thickness. 



In approaching the primitive chain we find in the vale of the Roya 

 various beds of the new-red-sandstone formation, loaded, near Scorglio, 

 with pebbles, (rothe-todte-liegende) ; and three miles beyond, at La 

 Fontana, this conglomerate rests on a coarse red micaceous grau- 

 wacke, which is succeeded by primitive rocks. 



From hence the author infers, that the lower part of the calcareous 

 deposit near Nice, is the older Alpine limestone; as is the opinion of 

 M. Risso. On the authority of that gentleman, Professor Buckland 

 remarks, that near the source of the Var the older Alpine limestone 

 contains gypsum, with sulphur and salt springs; and he thinks it 

 probable, that the gypsum found near Vinaigre and Requiez, and at 

 Cimiez, belongs to this formation, rather than to the younger Alpine 

 limestone, to which Mr. De la Beche refers it. A similar develope- 

 ment of the new red sandstone is seen between Toulon and Frejus, 

 accompanied with gypsum, saccharine dolomite, rauch-wacke, and 

 conglomerate. 



The author repeats, what he has advanced elsewhere, that although 

 limestone of all ages is occasionally more or less dolomitic, yet it is 

 peculiar to that of the new-red-sandstone formation, to be so very 

 decidedly, and almost invariably. He dissents altogether from the 

 theory which ascribes the magnesia contained in the calcareous beds 

 of the Tyrol to the proximity of trap rocks ; since he cannot conceive 

 that strata many hundred feet thick, and many miles distant, so far 

 as is known, from any pyroxenic rock, have derived from such rocks 

 their magnesian character ; — particularly as the beds, which are mag- 

 nesian, are found not unfrequently to alternate with calcareous beds 

 that are not so. 



Jan. 16. — A Letter was read, addressed to the President of the 

 Society, by MM. Von Oeynhausen and Von Dechen, containing 



