260 



THE WONDERS OF GEOLOGY. 



Lfct. III. 



42. Tertiary strata at Aix. — A group of strata 

 remarkable for its organic remains, occurs near Aix, a town 

 in Provence, which is situated upon a thick deposit of ter- 

 tiary conglomerate. The series on the northern side of the 

 valley consists of — 1. Tertiary breccia, the lowermost bed, 

 which forms the site of the town of Aix. 2. Marl, with 

 fishes and insects. 3. Gypsum and gypseous marls, con- 

 taining fishes and insects, leaves of palms, and other plants, 

 and fresh-water univalve and bivalve shells, particularly a 

 species of cyclas, in great abundance.* 4. Fresh- water 

 limestone. To the south, extending towards Toulon, are 

 lacustrine strata of red marl, with compact limestone 



Lign. 47. — Fossil fish, from Aix. 



(Smerdis minui7i.s.) 



inclosing shells, gyrogonites, &c ; still farther to the south, 

 beds of grey fresh- water limestone appear ; and at Fuveau, 

 a series of blue limestones, shales, and coal, is exten- 

 sively worked. Fresh-water shells, and seed vessels of 

 Charce with other vegetable remains, occur in abundance 

 in the coal-beds and intermediate layers of shale. 



* The Cyclas inhabits lakes and marshes, and therefore denotes the 

 lacustrine origin of the deposits. 



