1852.] 



PRATT — GEOLOGY OF CATALONIA. 



269 



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VOL. VIII. PART 



The road between Jonquera and Gerona, 

 by Figueras, is chiefly over an undulating 

 plain, varied by a few low ridges of hills ; 

 the plain itself being covered by a deep 

 alluvium, composed chiefly of disintegrated 

 granite, which rock rises in several places 

 a few feet above the surface. The low 

 ridges of hills alluded to consist of an im- 

 pure sandy limestone, covering in places a 

 red marly sandstone. On approaching 

 Figueras, these hills rise considerably to 

 wo the west, and contain fossils of the lower 

 "^S oolitic period; some of the species appear 

 to be closely similar to those of the in- 

 ferior oolite of this country. This is an 

 important fact, as the whole of this district 

 has been coloured in the map of France 

 as belonging to the cretaceous period. A 

 very extensive plain extends from Figueras 

 to the north-east and south, varied in a 

 few places by low and very limited hills, 

 ^ composed of alluvial masses of various 

 i i epochs. This plain extends towards Gerona, 

 II but it is greatly disturbed for about ten 

 iM miles at half the distance, and is intersected 



I S by very deep narrow valleys or fissures, in 

 -^^ which are found numerous masses of an- 

 il gular granite, porphyry, and lava. After 



I I passing this disturbed district, the plain 

 ^-^- extends to Gerona, where a lofty ridge, 



nearly 3000 feet high, suddenly rises ; 

 which, stretching nearly eastwards to the 

 coast, appears to form a connection with 

 the most southerly of the parallel ridges 

 before alluded to. This high ridge, near 

 Gerona, is composed in the lower part of 

 thick beds of schist, having a metamorphic 

 character. A few outbreaks of granite at 

 a low elevation have been noticed along 

 ^ the line. The schistose beds are covered 

 by thick deposits of limestone, and above 

 them is a red marly sandstone. In the 

 limestone a few compressed fossils are found, 

 1 1 consisting chiefly of Encrinite stems, and a 

 very few bivalve shells, probably Brachio- 

 poda. The sandstone is covered at nearly 

 the same inclination with numerous calca- 

 reous deposits of the early Tertiary period. 

 The lower beds of the latter contain several 

 species of Foraminifera, with a few small 



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