INTRODUCTION. 149 



under one series, the metamorphic ; not because I think it 

 at all improbable that they may be divided, but because 

 I have not myself seen any proofs of distinction. The 

 oolitic beds of Messrs. Ferret and Galinier are my Antalo 

 limestones, and I have entirely confirmed the opinions of 

 those explorers. Their tertiary sedimentary rocks, as 

 already mentioned, I consider pre-jurassic, and the ter- 

 tiary igneous rocks of their classification appear to me, 

 in part at least, probably of somewhat older date ; but 

 their epoch is uncertain. 



I do not think it necessary to do more than refer to 

 the works of Lefebvre,^ or to Dr. Beke's valuable papers 

 in tbe Royal Geographical Society's Journal,'^ because, 

 although numerous geological notices occur in them, they 

 add but little to what was previously known of Abys- 

 sinian geology. The same remark applies to the works 

 of other travellers in an even greater degree. 



Quite recently, in the Zeitschrift der Gesellschaft fur 

 Erdhunde zu Berlin, 1869, p. 347, a paper has appeared, 

 entitled " Geological Sketch of the Neighbourhood of 

 Axum and Adowa, in Tigre," by Dr. A. Sadebeck. It 

 consists principally of notes on a collection of rock speci- 

 mens, sent by Dr. W. Schimper to accompany a map and 

 sections. The rock specimens comprised granite of two 

 forms, various crystalline rocks, claystone, claystone- 

 breccia and conglomerate, and sandstone. The claystones 



1 Voyage en Abyssinie execute pendant les Annies 1839-43. Paris, 

 1845. 



2 Vol. X. p. 583 ; xii. p. 84 ; xiii. 254 ; xiv. p. 1. As mentioned subsequently, 

 Dr. Beke has most obligingly allowed me to examine an interesting series of 

 rock specimens collected during his travels 



