TOOTH OF A MASTODON IN WOOD COAL. 



225 



- As the plastic clay and London clay contain wood-coal, or lignite, 

 which is supposed to be characteristic of these beds, probably the 

 strata with wood-coal at Alpnach (see Chap. Vlll.), may be regard- 

 ed as belonging to a similar epoch. Some French geologists would 

 place these strata still higher in the tertiary series. The strata at 

 Alpnach are peculiarly remarkable for containing the remains of the 

 narrow-toothed mastodon, and of other mammalia, at the depth of 

 nearly three hundred feet from the surface. The annexed cut is ta- 

 ken from a drawing of one of these teeth in the possession of the 

 late Professor Meisner. of Berne, who also gave me specimens of 

 the strata below which the tooth was found. 



It is deserving of notice, that teeth almost exactly similar were 

 found on the volcano of Imbaburra in the Andes, which is ten thou- 

 sand feet above the level of the sea. I have one tooth in my posses- 

 sion from thence, purchased at the sale of the late M. Faujas de St. 

 Fond, of which the annexed cut may also serve as a correct rep- 

 resentation. 



The strata at Alpnach consist of the following beds in descen- 

 ding series : — 



Feet. Inches. 



1. Light grey sandstone - - - 24 0 



2. Light grey limestone like Jura limestone 24 0 



3. Different beds of Molasse or soft sandtone 227 0 



4. Light grey sandstone with mica, like No. L 6 0 



5. Light grey argillaceous limestone 1 6 



6. Bituminous shale in layers - - 7 0 



29 



