20 GEOLOGICAL MEMOIRS. 



northern coasts, the striae point westward and northward. Along the 

 Gulf of Christiania there are two systems of striations crossing at a 

 small angle; but, on the whole, pointing southward. Along the 

 eastern and southern slopes the striae range in the direction of 

 North Germany and Russia, being continued across the plains of 

 Finland ; confirming (if any confirmation were necessary) the general 

 belief of the Scandinavian origin of the erratic blocks which are 

 scattered over those countries. 



M. Horbye gives many interesting local details on the subject of 

 since and Roches moutonne.es, and the means for determining the di- 

 rection in which the ice has moved at given points. [E. H.] 



On some Greenstones and their Secondary Minerals. 

 By Dr. Tschermak. 

 [Proceed. Imp. Acad. Vienna, March 8, I860.] 

 The Greenstones of Neutitischein (Moravia), varied as they are, 

 may be brought under three distinct classes : diorites, simple dia- 

 bases, and calcareous diabases. The diabases give origin to only a 

 small number of secondary minerals ; the diorites are more pro- 

 ductive in this respect. The most interesting among them is the 

 serpentine, the origin of which may be traced through the whole 

 series of gradual decompositions undergone by the diorite. The 

 presence of lime in the diorites has had but little influence on the 

 nature of the secondary minerals produced by their decomposition. 



[Count M.] 



On the Lignite of Schonstein, Styria. By Dr. Rolle. 

 [Proceed. Imp. Acad. Vienna, February 3, I860.] 

 The geological and palaeontological characters of this small ligniti- 

 ferous basin are those of a secluded lacustrine deposit. The chief 

 materials which have undergone the process of lignitization are, ac- 

 cording to Prof. Unger's determination, stem-fragments of Peuee 

 acerosa, frequent also in other lignitiferous beds of Styria. Two 

 others of the fossil species from Schonstein agree with some from 

 the Swiss Molasse ; whilst two others are undescribed, and not as 

 yet met with in any other locality. 



The molluscan remains seem to indicate a less remote geological 

 age than may be inferred from the consideration of the plant-remains 

 alone. Undescribed species of Biihinia, Hydrobia, and Yalvata, not 

 known to occur in any other locality, are the prevailing forms. 

 Some few individuals of other species, still living and partly known 

 in the post-tertiary period, may be obtained by washing the fossi- 

 liferous marls. None of the Schonstein species are found among 

 the now well-explored molluscan fauna of the Vienna Basin. 



From all this Dr. Rolle infers that the lignitiferous beds of Schon- 

 stein correspond to a certain group of strata, palaeontologically ascer- 

 tainable only at very few localities, which have been considered 

 either uppermost tertiary or lowermost diluvial, and the most an- 

 cient known type of which is represented by the ossiferous strata of 

 the Arno Valley in Tuscany. [Count M.] 



