PORTLOCK ON THE WHITE LIMESTONE OF CORFU. 89 



minute that it can only be detected by a lens, whilst in other cases 

 it is coarser, and then readily disintegrates. At Cape Sidero the 

 surface of the brecciated beds appears to me to have suffered 

 erosion prior to the deposition of the other rock, portions of which 

 are found in hollows on its surface. The same brecciated beds are 

 seen more to the south, and may therefore underlie the massive beds 

 of Monte Decca, just as they here do those of Cape Sidero. Similar 

 alternating and highly laminated beds of white limestone and flints 

 occur at the base of Fort Neuf, and again in Vido, at the base of 

 the Tower Hill. Up to this geological point, I have as yet found 

 no fossils, but in the massive limestone of Yido the case is dif- 

 ferent, and having fortunately noticed a fragment on the face of 

 one of our quarries, I directed the attention of the workmen to 

 the fact, and they were not -long in discovering more. As the sur- 

 face of Vido is only gently undulated, and there is no marked 

 section, I have not yet been quite able to satisfy myself whether 

 this limestone should, like that of the Corfu citadel, be considered to 

 lie above the laminated beds, or below them. If the latter, the case 

 is rendered easier. This limestone, like that of Fort Abraham, is 

 full of fissures which are often filled up with ochreous matter, and 

 even in the finer fissures traces may be noticed of oxide of iron. 



The fossils are very locally distributed : at the first fossil lo- 

 cality Terebratulce only were discovered ; but at another, not 

 many hundred yards from it, Ammonites are in abundance : these 

 latter are, however, always in such a condition, from the splintery 

 character of the bed containing them, that specific identification 

 is almost impossible, although I am inclined to think that they 

 belong to. Von Buch's division, Planulati, and therefore may be 

 oolitic. Portions also of Univalves occur. Returning to the Te- 

 rebratulse, some of the first specimens resembled those of the chalk ; 

 but more perfect specimens presented the character of one of Von 

 Buch's divisions, Acutce, which as yet appears to go no further 

 upwards than the oolites. 



From a careful comparison of these fossils with the species most 

 nearly allied, ( T. pala and a species from the lower oolites of 

 Dim dry), I am induced to believe that the species which I ob- 

 tained is new, and I propose to name it provisionally T. Seaton- 

 iana, in honour of the present Lord High Commissioner, who 

 has expressed himself anxious to promote a geological survey of 

 the islands. I think also the character of the species affords strong 

 ground for believing that the strata here belong to rocks as low in 

 the series as the oolites. 



With respect to the tertiary strata, I can at present ' only state 

 that in Corfu I believe that we have all the varieties (including 

 the gypsum), mentioned by Mr. Strickland as occurring at Zante ; 

 and I consider there is little doubt that the range of strata extends 

 from the newer Pliocene to Miocene, if not Eocene. In an extensive 

 excavation in the citadel, a yellow indurated calcareous sand was 

 cut into, and a beautiful, though small section exposed ; dark lami- 

 nated clays Avere interstratified with the sand, and associated with 



