1855.] HAMILTON — TERTIARIES OF HESSE CASSEL. 127 



geologists that these Westeregeln sands are still older ; but we shall 

 return to this point hereafter. I will here merely observe that the 

 only correct part of the statement above quoted is that the Marine- 

 sands of Westeregeln overlie a Brown-coal formation, consequently a 

 Brown-coal of a much older date than those of the Wetterau or the 

 Westerwald. 



I propose in the following remarks to call the attention of the 

 Society principally to the following points : — 



1 . Tertiary geology of the neighbourhood of Hesse Cassel. 



2. Remarks on the tertiary beds of Westeregeln. 



3. Concluding remarks on the chronological connection of some of 

 the tertiary formations of the north of Germany. 



I. Tertiary Beds of Hesse Cassel. 



The tertiary marine formations of Hesse Cassel have been long ago 

 described by German writers, and a tolerably correct list of the 

 fossils contained in them was published by Philippi in his work * on 

 the Tertiary Fossils of the North of Germany. 



Much, however, remained to be done in working out their true 

 position, and in ascertaining their relative position to the Brown-coal 

 formations of the district, and to the other tertiary marine beds of 

 the north of Germany. The numerous volcanic outbursts and basaltic 

 knolls which have penetrated the entire district, extending from the 

 Vogelsberg and the Rhon Gebirge to the northwards far beyond Cassel, 

 constitute one of the most peculiar features of the country, not only 

 modifying the physical character of the region, but indicating the 

 former existence of elastic forces which have affected the whole of 

 the underlying sedimentary deposits. These basaltic rocks are some- 

 times found spreading themselves out in vast tabular masses over 

 the underlying Brown-coal beds, to which they form a kind of 

 capping, as is seen in the Habichts Wald near Cassel, the Hirschberg, 

 and the Meissner. In most cases, however, the basalt occurs in 

 dykes or in isolated knolls, spread over the face of the country from 

 Frankfort on the Maine to Cassel, and even beyond to the neigh- 

 bourhood of Gottingen and Carlshafen on the Weser. 



The following Sections observed in the vicinity of Cassel will best 

 explain the manner of the occurrence of these tertiary beds : — 



1 . Sections at Habichts Wald and Wilhelmshohe. 



Although, generally speaking, the Bunter Sandstein and the Mus- 

 chelkalk form the basis on which the tertiary beds have been here 

 deposited, it is the Muschelkalk alone which forms the basis of the 

 tertiaries of the Habichts Wald. A ridge of Muschelkalk extends in 

 the direct line of strike from E. to W., from Cassel to the north of 

 Wilhelmshohe, constituting a low range of hills. The beds dip due 

 S. about 6° or 8° ; while the Bunter Sandstein which occurs further 

 N. loses itself conformably under the Muschelkalk. This ridge is 



* Beitrage zur Kenntniss der tertiiir Versteinerungen des nordwestlichen 

 Deutschlands. Cassel, 1844. 



