1848.] MURCHISON ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE ALPS. 263 



the space of half a German mile, it there contains Gryphcea columba^ 

 Cardium Hillamiyn, and in other places (Zips, Zglo, Wercizer) Pho- 

 ladomya Esmarckii ; whilst plants referred by Goppert to the upper 

 greensand, including Salicites crassifolius, occur at Kluknawa and 

 Petzoldtii. 



It is thus manifest, that in the generic word Carpathian sandstone, 

 as in the words *' Wiener sandstein," "flysch" and " macigno," de- 

 posits of lower greensand, upper greensand, and of supracretaceous 

 or eocene greensand have been confounded. The value, therefore, 

 of the section between Zagopane and Zafflary (fig. 31) is apparent, 

 because the order of superposition there clearly establishes a parallel 

 between the schists and sandstone overlying the nummulite rocks 

 and the great mass of strata of that age in the Alps. On the other 

 hand, the fossil researches of M. Zeuschner afford clear evidence, that 

 other and large portions of this sandy argillaceous series are equiva- 

 lents of members of the cretaceous system*. This is precisely what 

 I have indicated, where the mineral representatives of the white 

 chalk of Switzerland and Bavaria approach the Eastern Alps, and 

 where the whole series between the neocomian limestone and the 

 molasse or nagelflue assumes its arenaceous or northern type. 



Part III. 



On the chief Formations of the Apennines and Italy. 



Although less complicated than the Alps, and not containing a 

 vestige of the older formations which have been detected in parts of 

 that chain, the Apennines and their flanks offer many difficult pro- 

 blems, which even at this day remain in some degree obscure. The 

 labours of native geologists in the last few years have, it is true, done 

 much to clear away these doubts, the proofs of which will be found 

 in the proceedings of the last three meetings of the men of science of 

 Italy f. After personal inspection of some of the tracts in which the 

 leading questions have been agitated, I will now endeavour to point 

 out the extent to which the structure of the peninsula agrees with 

 that of the Alps. In the first place, then, the whole of the palaeozoic 

 series is wanting in the continent of Italy, nor are there sufficient 

 grounds for supposing that the trias has any existence in it. For 

 although the Marquess Pareto, one of the leaders of our science in 

 Italy, has suggested, that the conglomerate called Verrucano (the 



* Count Keyserling, to whom I am indebted for a clear and concise view of the 

 last researches of Prof. Zeuschner, reminds me, that the curious body called a 

 Sphaerosiderites, and described by Professor Glocl<er of Breslau (Acta Acad. Caes. 

 Leop. Carol. Nat. Curios, tom. xix. part 2. p. 673 find tab. 79), which M. von 

 Buch first proclaimed to be a Nautilus, has under the examination of M. von 

 Hauer, jun., proved to be the Nautilus plicatus (Fitton) of the lower greensand, 

 or N. requieniamis (D'Orb.). This fossil occurs in Moravia near Frankstatt and 

 Tickau, in what is called by M. von Hauer " Wiener sandstein ! " For a full account 

 of the secondary fossils of the Carpathians, see Zeuschner's memoir on the struc- 

 ture of the Tatra Verb. R.K. Miner. Gesr. St. Petersburg!), 1847, which I only re- 

 ceived when this sheet was in print. So far as I have had time to study it, this 

 memoir would rather confirm my opinions. — June 25. 



t See the volumes of the " Riunione degli Scienziati Italiani " of the Milan, Genoa 

 and Venice meetings. 



