Vol.  49.] 
THE  NHEEHENSTOCK  (lEPONTINE  ALPS). 
89 
4.  Note  on  the  Nueenenstock  (Lepontine  Alps).  By  Prof.  T.  G. 
Bonnet,  D.Sc.,  LL.D.,  F.B.S.,  V.P.G.S.  (Bead  December  7th, 
1892.) 
A  change  for  the  worse  in  the  weather,  as  mentioned  in  my  paper 
on  ‘  Crystalline  Schists  and  their  relation  to  Mesozoic  rocks  in  the 
Lepontine  Alps/ 1  prevented  Mr.  J.  Eccles  and  myself  from 
completely  examining  the  Nufenen  Pass.  In  the  summer  of  1891 
we  were  enabled  to  make  an  excursion  thither  from  Blrichen  in  the 
Bhone  Valley.  Though  our  visit  was  necessarily  a  brief  one,  for 
even  to  the  top  of  the  pass  it  is  nearly  three  hours’  steady  walking 
and  an  ascent  of  over  3600  feet  from  Ulrichen,  yet,  as  the  present 
paper  does  something  to  finish  off  an  obviously  4  ragged  edge  ’  in 
my  former  communication,  I  venture  to  bring  the  results  before  the 
Society. 
The  upper  part  of  the  Nufenen  Pass  (8006  feet)  is  a  nearly  level 
4  corridor/  north  of  the  Nufenenstock  (9400  feet),  the  highest  point 
being  at  the  western  end,  though  the  eastern  one,  above  the  ascent 
from  the  Val  Bedretto,  is  not  many  feet  lower.  We  were  obliged 
on  the  former  occasion  to  give  up  work  soon  after  entering  the 
4  corridor  ’  from  the  latter  end.2  On  our  second  visit  we  found  that 
the  rain  had  begun  at  a  very  inconvenient  moment,  for  another 
hour  of  fine  weather  would  have  sufficed  for  clearing  up  our 
principal  difficulties. 
On  the  northern  side  of  this  4  corridor/  as  stated  in  the  above- 
mentioned  paper,  is  a  gneiss,  south  of  which  is  a  little  rauchwacke. 
This  can  be  traced  some  distance  westward  down  the  slopes.3  It 
contains  rather  numerous  fragments  of  the  silvery  disthene-schist.4 
Jurassic  rock  follows,  sometimes  containing  4  knots/  4  prisms/  and 
fossils  ;  some  is  in  situ,  but  how  much  is  doubtful.  I  mentioned  that 
on  the  former  occasion  we  had  seen  a  few  erratics  of  the  black- 
garnet  schist ;  on  this  we  soon  found  the  rock  abundantly.  It  covered 
an  area,  north  of  the  track,  to  a  distance,  roughly  estimated,  of 
300  jurds  and  to  a  height  of  50  or  60  feet  above  it — in  outline  a 
very  rude  semi-oval.  The  rock  closely  resembled  that  in  the  crags 
at  the  head  of  the  Bitom  Boden  (Val  Piora),  the  black  garnet- 
bearing  schists  being  often  interstratified  with  brownish  quartzose 
1  Quart.  Journ.  Geol.  Soc.  vol.  xlvi.  (1890)  p.  219. 
2  When  rocks  are  not  easily  distinguished,  such  as  the  dark  schists  with 
garnets  and  the  Jurassic  rocks  with  ‘knots’  and  ‘prisms/  on  which  we  were 
then  engaged,  it  is  worse  than  useless  to  work  in  heavy  rain. 
3  The  path  during  the  last  part  of  the  ascent  on  this  side  passes  almost 
wholly  over  steep  slopes  of  grass  and  debris. 
4  I  use  the  names  employed  in  my  former  paper.  It  is  there  stated  that  the 
black-garnet  schist  and  the  dark-mica  schist  are  only  varieties  of  the  same 
rock.  In  the  latter  other  silicates  than  garnet  and  mica  may  be  present,  also 
calcite  ;  sometimes  it  has  quartzose  layers.  The  disthene-schist  consists  mainly 
of  two  micas,  as  shown  by  Dr.  Grubenmann.  Though  the  name  seems  given 
sometimes  on  the  principle  of  Bottom’s  dream  I  retained  it,-  as  it  had  been 
used  by  Dr.  von  Fritsch,  and  ‘  Two-mica-schist  ’  looks  odd  in  English. 
