Yol. 50.] 



GOSATT BEDS OF 1HE GOSAU DISTRICT. 



129 



these are probably part of the brackish-water or estuarine beds, 

 which on the east side of the stream at the Neue Alp have been 

 worked for coal. They consist for the most part of soft, pale 

 grey marls with thin layers of a bituminous coal, and containing 

 brackish-water shells, such as Melania granluatocincta (Stol.) and 

 Tanalia Pickleri (Horn.), both of which are extremely common. 

 The gasteropoda from these beds have been described by Stoliczka, 1 

 and a few lamellibranchs by Zittel. 2 They belong to a mixture 

 of land, freshwater, and marine forms, so that the beds are pro- 

 bably of brackish-water origin, and were most likely deposited in 

 an estuary. 



The boundary-line of the Gosau Beds in this neighbourhood seems 

 to curve sharply round to the north of the INeue Alp, so that in this 

 valley we have a long tongue-like extension of these beds, gradually 

 tapering off towards the head of the stream. 



On the south side of the Kussbachthal there are good exposures at 

 the jNefgraben, a deep, tortuous ravine on the north-Avestern slopes of 

 the Hornspitze. A thick series of dark grey marls, here and there 

 alternating with shales and sandstones, is exposed, with two bands 

 of limestone towards its upper portion containing Hippurites and 

 numerous reef-building and other forms of corals. A larger and 

 more varied series of corals maybe collected here than in any other 

 locality in the Gosau district. The whole series of beds here 

 exposed probably amounts to almost 1000 feet in thickness ; the 

 general dip is rather east of south, and the angle varies consider- 

 ably. The following are some of the commoner forms occurring 

 here : — 



Actinozoa. 

 Agathelia asperella (Reuss). 

 Trochosmilia cnmplanata (E. & H.). 

 Jjiplocteriuni lunatum (Mich.). 

 Bhipidogyra undutata (Reuss). 

 Astroccenia magnified (Reuss). 



„ ^ramusa (E. & H.). 



„ reticulata (E. & H.). 



Montlivaltia rudis (E. & H.). 

 Calamophyllia multicineta ^ Reuss). 

 Ht/dnophora styriaca (E. & H.). 

 Thamnastraa, several sp. 

 Cyciulites macrostoma (Reuss). 



,, etliptica (Lam.). 



,, hemispkeerica (Lain.). 



Lamellibranchiata. 

 Hippurites cornu-vaccinum 

 (Bronn). 



Hippurites organisans. 

 IHagioptychus Aguilloni (d'Orb.). 

 Janira (Neithea) quadricostata 



(Sow.). 

 Panopcea frequens (Zitt.). 

 Cypricardia testaoea (Zitt.). 

 Cardium produutum (Sow.). 



Gasteropoda. 

 Volvulina tmvis (d'Orb.). 

 Ampullina (Natica) bulbiformis 



(Sow.). 

 Natica lyrata (Sow.). 

 Aporrhais costata (Sow.). 

 Cerithium reticosum (Sow.), etc. 



Eeturning to the western side of the Gosauthal, we find good ex- 

 posures of the fossiliferous marls in the Finstergraben, a small ravine 

 immediately south-west of Gosau village. The beds resemble those 

 ot the Edelbachgraben, already described, but are higher in the series, 



1 Sitzungsber. d. kaiserl. Akad. Wissensch. Wien, vol. xxxviii. (1859) p. 4S2. 



2 Denkschrii't. d. kaiserl. Akad. Wissensch. Wien, vol. xxv. (1866) pt. ii. p. 77. 



