i8o BuiyivKTiN 35 328 



stones ; they were contorted and altered by volcanic activity, be- 

 ing thrust up to elevations of 1,000 to 1,300 feet, but were sedi- 

 mentary rocks, probably of Eocene age ; the volcanic activity had 

 resulted in the intrusion of a few masses and dykes of lava, but 

 in few places was there any definite flow of lava. 



These rocks consist of sandstones of various degrees of fine- 

 ness and contain abundance of fossil wood and also well-preserved 

 fossil shells of fresh or brackish-water types, bearing testimony 

 to the former existence of the Antillian land area referred to by 

 Mr. Guppy as possibly Atlantis. 



In various parts of these rocks of the Central Plain and the 

 south-western hills there occur outlying masses of limestone, 

 such as Mr. Guppy stated he would expect to find had the lime- 

 stone at one time extended over a larger area than it does at 

 present. These outliers had been misinterpreted by Purves, who 

 took them to be a definite layer of Miocene limestone underlying 

 the rocks the Central Plain. 



A correct understanding of the sedimentary nature of the 

 rocks of these hills that have so long been mistaken for volcanic 

 appeared to the speaker to be of the first importance, for he be- 

 lieves that they represent a portion of a large formation extend- 

 ing throughout the West Indies from the Virgin Islands south- 

 ward, possibly as far as Trinidad, and that evidence of their ex- 

 istence is to be found in Grenada, St. Lucia, and possibly even in 

 Dominica. Fossil wood is known to occur in St. Lucia and this 

 may be regarded as confirmatory of these views. 



The lower limestones of the northern part of the island were 

 probably of Miocene age and had undoubtedly formed islets in a 

 shallow sea at a time when, as Mr. Guppy had said, the sea 

 flowed over what is now the Central Plain. Throughout the 

 whole length of the Central Plain are raised beaches of water- 

 worn pebbles marking the boundaries of this shallow sea. 



Page 37 



The limestone formations are very confused and difficult to 

 study from the fact that on the shores of the islets consisting of 

 Miocene limestone above referred to corals and shells of latter 



