Environs of Nice, and the Coast thence to Vintimiglia. 173 



At Bausi Raussi Cliff is a breccia containing- pebbles of serpentine as well 

 as of compact limestone, — the latter are perforated by Lithodomi ; the cement 

 contains sub-fossil shells^ and the breccia rests on vertical strata of li"ht- 

 coloured, compact limestone. 



The accompanying section will give a clearer idea of the position of this 

 breccia at Bausi Raussi than the most elaborate description. 



A B level of the sea. C breccia or conglomerate. D D D perpendicular 

 waving strata of compact light-coloured limestone. 



Osseous Breccia. 



The osseous breccias seem to occur only in fissures and cavities. Of these, 

 the first I shall notice is situate on the south-east of the Castle Hill, in a cleft 

 of brecciated dolomite. Tiie north side of this fissure from top to bottom is 

 bored by Lithodomi, and their shells are still found abundantly in the holes 

 which are stopped up by the cement. This cliff has in a great measure been 

 destroyed by quarrying. The bones, here discovered, have been described by 

 M. Cuvier. The breccia containing them is red, and full of angular frag- 

 ments of dolomite and light-coloured compact limestone. Beneath this red 

 breccia is another, the pebbles of which are rounded and of grey blue lime- 

 stone, and in which no bones have hitherto been discovered. 



The blasting which had destroyed so much of this rock, afforded, when I 

 was at Nice, a very instructive section, pointed out to me by M. Verany. It 

 would appear that the osseous breccia had extended to a cave, which is now 

 destroyed ; and there were fissures connected with it also filled with osseous 

 breccia. One of these on the road to the Port is shown*; the blue pebbles 

 changing the colour of the breccia to grey, strikingly contrasts with the red 

 tint of that which is osseous and uppermost. 



Here then we may trace four distinct epochs : viz. 



1. An open fissure into which the sea entered at a much higher level than 

 at present, enabling the Lithodomi quietly to bore their holes ; — for 

 they are of all ages. 



* Plate XXIV. fiff. 2. 



