and other Mountains of the Dutchy of Nassau. 271 



to Mr. Sowerby, who has examined them, are chiefly paludinae resembhngthe 

 P. thermahs. 



At Hogheim the upper and lower beds, which are easily distinguished by 

 their different degrees of hardness, are often found nearly on the same level. 

 These also contain the same species of paludina as that found at Oberrad ; 

 and also some cyrenae resembling the C. obovata, a helix, a modiola, a mytilus, 

 and a cerithium or potamis. 



At Muhlbach the shells are chiefly paludinae. 



The fossil bones, of which there are nearly forty specimens, were found in 

 the quarry at Muhlbach, about 60 feet deep under a limestone bed in marie. 

 They are all fragments, and were so fragile as to break on being touched. 

 Unfortunately they are too indistinct to justify an opinion concerning the 

 animal to which they belonged ; but from the portions of two teeth which are 

 tolerably well preserved, Mr. Clift, who has been so kind as to examine them, 

 thinks that one belonged to an animal nearly allied to the Lophiodon Tapi- 

 roides, and that the other is one of the molares of an animal resembling the 

 recent Sumatran Tapir. 



This calcareous deposit is bounded on the north by the Taunus, on the 

 south by the Odenwald, on the south-east by the Spessart, and on the west 

 by the alluvial deposits of the Rhine. Many facts led me during the exami- 

 nation of the valley, to suppose that the whole of this calcareous deposit lies 

 on basalt. These facts I shall state in a few words. 



1st. A little way to the south-east of the Warthberg hill near Sachsen- 

 hausen, and consequently at a very little distance from the Mayne, a quarry 

 of basalt rises through the calcareous deposit. 



2dly. Basalt is quarried at the eastern foot of the same hill, and also on the 

 opposite side of the river under the calcareous beds. 



3dly. At Steinheim, about one mile and a half from Hannau, on the south 

 side of the Mayne, the basalt rises again ; and several quarries of this substance 

 are to be met with in the neighbourhood. 



4thly. A little to the south of Steinheim several quarries of basalt have been 

 opened under the calcareous deposits. In some of these the columns are about 

 30 feet high. 



5thly. On the road from Steinheim to Offenbach is a fine quarry of colum- 

 nar basalt. 



Following the high road south towards Darmstadt, we gradually lose the 

 calcareous marie, and begin to find fragments of primitive rocks, such as 

 granite, gneiss, syenite, &c. At Rosdorf, south-east of Darmstadt, is the last 

 appearance of basalt in that direction. 



VOL. II. — SECOND SERIES. 2 N 



