chap. yh. Superficial Calcareous Deposit. 165 



from Bermuda y at this latter place, the surrounding 

 calcareous rocks, judging from the specimens collected 

 by Lieut. Nelson, are likewise similar, as is their sub- 

 aerial formation. Reflecting on the stratification of 

 the deposit on Bald Head, — on the irregularly alter- 

 nating layers of substalagmitic rock, — on the uniformly 

 sized, and rounded particles, apparently of sea shells 

 and corals, — on the abundance of land-shells throughout 

 the mass, — and finally, on the absolute resemblance of 

 the calcareous casts, to the stumps, roots, and branches 

 of that kind of vegetation, which would grow on sand- 

 hillocks, I think there can be no reasonable doubt, 

 notwithstanding the different opinion of some authors, 

 that a true view of their origin has been here given. 



Calcareous deposits, like these of King George's 

 Sound, are of vast extent on the Australian shores. 

 Dr. Fitton remarks, that 'recent calcareous breccia (by 

 which term all these deposits are included) was found 

 during Baudin's voyage, over a space of no less than 

 25 degrees of latitude and an equal extent of longitude, 

 on the southern, western, and north-western coasts. ' l 

 It appears also from M. Peron, with whose observations 

 and opinions on the origin of the calcareous matter and 

 branching casts mine entirely accord, that the deposit 

 is generally much more continuous than near King 

 George's Sound. At Swan River, Archdeacon Scott 2 

 states that in one part it extends ten miles inland. 

 Captain Wickham, moreover, informs me that during 

 his late survey of the western coast, the bottom of the 



1 For ample details on this formation, consult Dr. Fitton's 

 'Appendix to Capt. King's Voyage.' Dr. Fitton is inclined to 

 attribute a concret ionary origin to the branching bodies: I may 

 remark, that I have seen in beds of sand in La Plata cylindrical 

 stems which no doubt thus originated ; but they differed much in 

 appearance from these at Bald Head, and the other places above 

 specified. 



2 ' Proceedings of Geolog. Sec.' vol. i. p. 320. 



