584 



the east of the ridge * of rock (Cerro de Mea- 

 pire) which joins the calcareous groupe of Gua- 

 charo to the groupe of micaslate of the penin- 

 sula of Araya ; but I have not had occasion to 

 verify the justness of this observation. The 

 calcareous soil of the southern chain is com- 

 posed of two formations which appear distinct, 

 the limestone of Cumanacoa and that of Caripe. 

 While I was on the spot, the former appeared 

 to me to have some analogy with the zechstein, 

 or alpine limestone; the latter with jurassic 

 limestone ; I even thought that the latter gra- 

 nular gypsum of Guire might be that which 

 belongs in Europe to zechstein, or is placed 

 between zechstein and variegated sandstone. 

 Beds of quartzous sandstone, alternating with 

 slaty clay, cover the limestone of Cumanacoa-f-, 

 Cerro del Impossible, Turimiquiri, Guarda de 

 San Agustin) and the jurassic limestone J in 

 the province of Barcelona (Aguas calientes). 

 According to this position, this sandstone may 

 be considered as belonging to the formation of 

 green sandstone, or sandstone with lignites^be- 

 low chalk. But it is little probable if (as I 

 thought I observed at Cocollar) the sandstone 

 forms beds in the alpine limestone, before it is 



* Vol. iii, p. 183. 



t Vol. iii, p. 10, &c. 23, 163. 



X Vol. Vi, p. 80. 



