398 Geological Memoirs. 



delicate well-preserved organic remains of animals and plants,* some 

 of them known, but some belonging to species now extinct, distinctly 

 prove that this polishing slate belongs to an ancient division of 

 the tertiary period, immediately subsequent to the chalk, and at the 

 same time that it was a quiet deposit in fresh water, exhibiting by 

 its organic remains a gradual passage from the animal to the vegeta- 

 ble kingdom. The thin superficial coating of gravel seems to show 

 that the whole has been since subjected to the action of currents 

 of water. 



The environs and the springs of Toplitz and Carlsbad were also 

 objects of investigation during the author's brief stay, and he looks 

 forward to a time when he may be able to follow out these investi- 

 gations in greater detail ; but he was particularly struck with the 

 large crater-shaped valley of Franzensbad, whose diameter is about 

 four miles, and within which is the little volcanic cone of the 

 Kammerbuhl. In this spot were exhibited many highly interesting 

 conditions and relations, of the most minute forms of organic exis- 

 tence. 



It was evident from the first glance that the infusorial siliceous 

 earth played a very important part in the valley of Franzensbad. 

 That it was indeed by no means a mere local phenomenon exhibited 

 in the little hillocks or heaps on the surface, as had been originally 

 supposed, but existed as a regular and extensive deposit beneath 

 the coating of vegetable soil, had been noticed before by Dr. 

 Palliardi, but the author observed its extension in so many places 

 besides those noticed by Dr. Palliardi, wherever the denuded sur- 

 face was visible, and it appeared to be so completely an integral part 

 of the turf or bog earth, that the whole valley seemed completely 

 covered with it, and in fact the whole of the turf, whether its thick- 

 ness is one or twenty feet, belongs more or less exclusively to this 

 formation. 



Near Franzensbad the development of Pinnularia viridis in great 

 masses of siliceous earth is extremely striking, and at the east end of 

 the valley the presence of Campylodiscus clypeus is equally abundant 



* There is an extremely rich and beautiful collection of these in the museum 

 in the Lobkowitzian palace, but the specimens have not yet been described. 



