Structure of the Eastern Alps. 371 



for, we find indurated and finely levigated river silt, charged with plants 

 and land shells^ and occasionally mixed with marine shells ; and amidst these 

 masses are, here and there, a few alternating- layers of conglomerates, con- 

 taining pebbles derived from the neighbouring mountains. It seems almost 

 impossible to explain the origin of such beds otherwise than by supposing 

 them to have been drifted by rivers or mountain torrents into an ancient 

 estuary or arm of the sea, extending up this part of the valley of the Inn. In 

 thus endeavouring to account for the position of the overlying groups of 

 Haring, we by no means wish to exclude any agent which has been at work 

 since their deposition. Not only may a great part of them have been swept 

 away from the valley of the Inn, but the position of those which remain may 

 also have been considerably modified, by the disturbing forces which have 

 since acted on the chain. 



1. Detailed Section of the Coal Formation of Haring. 



The following section of the beds associated with the tertiary coal forma- 

 tion of Haring is exhibited in the Barbara-Stollen, one of the adit levels; and 

 the details here given are derived partly from our own observations and the 

 existing documents at the mine, and partly from the information kindly com- 

 municated by Mr. Pohringer of Halle, under whose direction the adit was 

 first undertaken. A very detailed history of the works is given by Professor 

 Fliirl of Munich, in his " Steinkohlen Gebirge von Haring," from which we 

 have also abridged some parts of the following section. As this author has 

 misnamed several of the organic remains, we are unable, in everything which 

 relates to the zoological history of the strata, to place much reliance upon his 

 specifications*. But with this limitation, his memoir is a valuable official 

 record ; although, perhaps, unnecessarily expanded. 



The following groups are given as they appeared in driving the adit, and 

 are consequently in the descending order. 



Ft. In. 



1. Layers of yellowish, grey, micaceous, indurated marl, with a few well- 



preserved organic remains 120 



2. Conglomerate made up of angular fragments of smoke-grey and reddish 



* For instance, the land shells of the genus Caracolla (of which many flattened specimens 

 exist in the coal beds) are called by him small Ammonites. A single error like this affects the 

 whole nature of the zoological evidence exhibited by the strata. We had no opportunity of see. 

 ing many of the organic remains described in Professor Fliirl's list. In some of the collections 

 of the country we, however, saw many fossil shells said to bo derived from Hiring ; but the 

 information they communicated was considerably diminished by their not having been carefully 

 separated from the fossils of the secondary limestone. 



3b2 



