228 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [DeC. 13, 



fact, from the identity of the rocks, and the beUef in a similar position 

 of the Italian macigno (upper) and the flysch of the Swiss, that 

 M. Studer has recently styled the latter " macigno alpin." In 

 treating of the Carpathians and Apennines it will, however, be shown 

 to what a limited extent the *' gres des Carpathes," and the Italian 

 ** macigno," are to be identified with the nummulitic or lower tertiary 

 flysch ; for in both these regions it happens, that the same lithological 

 type of sandstones (often green) pervades vast thicknesses of strata, 

 some of which are of upper secondary and others of lower tertiary age. 



On the younger Tertiary Rocks of the Alps, and on the -extent to 

 which they represent the Miocene and Pliocene of Geologists. 



In all parts of the Northern Alps there are evident signs of a 

 marked interval between the last-formed strata of eocene age and the 

 next overljdng deposits, which every one has admitted to be tertiary. 

 In contrast with the apparent conformable superposition of the over- 

 lying tertiary strata to the eocene on the flanks of the Venetian Alps 

 near Bassano, already alluded to, and in parts of Italy tg which I 

 shall afterwards advert, the general phsenomenon along the northern 

 edge of the Alps, is that of a grand dislocation between such masses. 

 In other words, it is clear that between the upper portion of the 

 " flysch," and the lower portion of any tertiary formation of subse- 

 quent date, there is so great a break and unconformity as quite suffi- 

 ciently to account for the absence either of the uppermost eocene, or 

 of the lower part of the miocene of other countries. 



Professor Studer, who has so long and so minutely studied the 

 molasse and nagelflue of his native country, has as yet in vain sought 

 for any section which exhibits a physical connection between the base 

 of these deposits of molasse and the upper portion of the strata we 

 have been considering. Thus dissevered from pre-existing strata, the 

 molasse and nagelflue conglomerates are constantly thrown up at all 

 angles of inclination, not only to verticality, but beyond it ; and on 

 lines usually parallel to the direction which has been impressed on the 

 pre-existing masses ot the chain, viz. from W.S.W. to E.N.E. The 

 manner in which many of these tertiary conglomerates and molasse 

 have been so placed against the flanks of the chain will be presently 

 considered. In the meantime, whilst I acknowledge my incapacity 

 to work out the subject completely, let us see what can be gathered 

 from fossil evidences respecting the true age of these deposits. 



In Styria * there is, indeed, a general ascending series, from a base 



* The account of the tertiary deposits of the Styrian Alps, by SedgA\-ick and 

 self (Trans. Geol. Soc. Lond. vol. iii. 2nd series, p. 382), has recently received a 

 great addition in the description of their fossil plants by Dr. linger of Gratz. (See 

 Leonhard and Bronn, Jahrbuch, 1841, p. 505, and Journ. Geol. Soc. Lond. vol. v. 

 Part 2. p. 11.) That author enumerates nearly 150 species from one bed only of 

 lignite at Parschlug, all of which are of lost forms. Besides many Dicotyledonous 

 trees of genera common in Europe, there are genera which require a chmate as 

 warm as South America, whilst others resemble the fauna of the United States 

 and table-land of Mexico. On the whole, Dr. linger believes that these plants, 



