243 



valley of the Secklerland. 4. By a large group of conical porphyritic 

 hills, with metalliferous summits, ranging by Korosch Banya, Zala- 

 thria, Vorospatak, &c. Many of these hills are stated to average 

 from 3000 to 4000 feet in height, and the highest peaks to exceed 

 6000 feet. The author, describing the course of the rivers, remarks 

 that the hydrographical features are inaccurately given in all maps, 

 and that most of the streams cut through the above chains by 

 gorges of very recent fracture. The primary rocks, he says, consist 

 of gneiss and slate ; that in the latter, serpentine, granular lime- 

 stone, and metalliferous veins are found wherever sienite comes into 

 contact with the slate. The Carpathian sandstone with Fucoids 

 (Vienna sandstone) is mentioned as occurring in the N.E. and S.E. 

 of Transylvania ; — that it surrounds the auriferous porphyries of 

 Nagy and Banya, and that at Laposbanya the marls and slaty sand- 

 stones of this formation are much altered by dykes of sienitic por- 

 phyry, presenting examples of jaspideous rocks like those of Portrush, 

 Skye, &c. 



The author is disposed to think that there are evidences of two or 

 even more periods of igneous eruption, and that the scoriaceous tra- 

 chytic porphyries cut through and frequently overflowed the me- 

 talliferous porphyries. These porphyry districts are cited as offering 

 repeated and decisive proofs of the igneous origin of metalliferous 

 veins 5 all the walls of which are altered and discoloured: — large 

 masses of the rock are traversed by millions of auriferous rents, — 

 and that gold is found in the sandstone as well as in the porphyry. 



The remaining secondary formations are stated to consist of a 

 kind of recent Jurassic, compact limestone, associated with conglome- 

 rate, covered, here and there, by patches of sandstone and marl 

 containing some of the fossils of Gosau. Near Sass Vorosch, Kis 

 Numtschel, Kis Aranyos, &c, deposits of about the same age are 

 said to have been observed by M. Partsch, and that they have been 

 further described in the Buskowine by that gentleman, and by Messrs. 

 Von Lill and Rudolph. The tertiary deposits, like those of Hungary, 

 are considered to be entirely of the upper class, and they are shown 

 to consist of clay, marl, and molasse, with salt, gypsum, lignite, &c. 

 The molasse, the author says, is generally covered by shelly sands and 

 gravel, but occasionally by a sandy, coarse limestone ; and that near 

 Illyefalvaa Arapatak, these sands contain many freshwater mixed with 

 some marine shells. Near the Rothethurm pass, and west and north of 

 Klaurenburg, he shows there are thick deposits of nummulitic and coral 

 limestone, equivalent to the highest tertiary limestone of Austria and 

 Hungary. Fichtel is quoted as the earliest and best geological writer 

 upon Transylvania, particularly as to the localities of shelly deposits 

 and salt springs ; and it is stated that from his work alone M Beudant 

 was enabled to compile a map of this country. 



For an account of the eastern chain of trachytes the author refers 

 to what he has already written in Dr. Daubeny's work on Volcanos : 

 — he inclines to the supposition that the scoriaceous trachytic porphy- 

 ries were erupted during the cretaceous or perhaps even during the old 

 tertiary period ; and he dissents from M. Beudant as to the possibility 



