Chap. XVIL] 
CARBONIFEROUS ROCKS IN SPAIN. 
419 
The limestones that form the inferior limit of these Carboniferous deposits 
truly vindicate the propriety of the old English name Mountain-limestone ; for 
they rise to the highest points of the Cantabrian chain, and constitute the 
mountains of Cabrales and Cobadonga, as well as the Peaks of Europe (Picos de 
Europa). They also advance to the sea near Bibadesella, and penetrate on the 
east into the Provinces of Santander and Palencia*. The last-mentioned of 
these Provinces has during the last three years undergone a special and laborious 
survey by the late M. Casiano de Prado, who published a map, founded on his 
trigonometrical observations, which must prove of signal advantage to this rich 
mining region. The same untiring and successful explorer demonstrated that 
in no other part of Spain is the Carboniferous Limestone so rich in fossils, inas- 
much as he detected at least 100 species in this one tract. 
The Carboniferous deposits of the Sierra Morena range along the southern 
part of that chain. Like similar formations in the north of Spain, their lower 
beds generally contain limestones in which occur the same species of Productus 
and some marine fossils that are known in other regions. The coal is chiefly 
associated with overlying conglomerates and sandstones ; some of it, however, 
as in the Asturias, is said to lie in the calcareous series. The best coal-fields of 
this southern region are at Villa Nueva del Rio near Seville, and in the neigh- 
bourhood of Belmez, between Almaden and Cordova, where the strata are 
highly inclined. 
On the flanks of the crystalline schists, probably metamorphic, which form 
the Sierras east of Burgos, towards Brieva de Guarros and Escaray, are also 
masses of sandstone and shale with impressions of Plants and traces of coal, 
associated, as in the other Spanish coal-fields, with a few marine fossils. These 
rocks are mentioned only to show how generally the same Palaeozoic succession 
prevailed over the Peninsula before the country was thrown up into those ridges 
which now form the lines of separation between its different provinces. 
Whatever be their direction or inclination, the Silurian, Devonian, and Lower 
Carboniferous rocks of Spain have all been conformably and, apparently, simul- 
taneously elevated, as in France. 
The existence of Permian rocks in Spain is rather doubtful, no fossils of that 
age having yet been found in so southern a part of Europe. Led, however, by 
mineral analogies and other characters, an able French engineer, M. Jacquot, has 
recently proposed to range as Permian a great arenaceous red deposit in the 
Serrania de Cuenca, which he considers to be the equivalent of the 'Both- 
liegende' and the 'Gres des Vosges' (Esquisse geologique de la Serrania de 
Cuenca, 1866). 
Although the present work does not treat of the Secondary rocks, it is due to 
my eminent associate de Verneuil, and his fellow-traveller, M. Collomb, to state 
that, besides tracing Jurassic and Cretaceous deposits, they detected true Mus- 
chelkalk fossils near Mora on the Ebro, and in various other localities, clearly 
demonstrating the existence of Trias in the Peninsula f. 
Silurian and Carboniferous Deposits in Portugal. — English geologists are in- 
* During the summer of 1852, MM. de Ver- 
neuil, Casiano de Prado, and Loriere ascended 
one of these lofty peaks of Mountain-limestone, 
and found, by barometrical observation, that it 
was 2500 metres, or about 8200 English feet, above 
the sea. It was covered with snow on the 1st 
August. In the summer of 1856, M. Casiano de 
Prado ascended the highest of all these peaks, 
and determined its height to be 2650 metres, or 
8692 English feet ! 
t Some badly preserved fossils of Triassic age 
had been previously observed by Casiano de 
Prado, de Verneuil, and de Loriere, at Eoyuela, 
in the mountains of Albaracin. Besides giving to 
the public a valuable table of the chief altitudes 
of this rugged and rocky region (see Comptes 
Eendus de rAcad. des Sciences, vol. xliv. p. 1299), 
MM. de Verneuil and Collomb have published a 
map of the district (1864). It has been reported 
that lately Professor Vilanosa has discovered new 
localities where Triassic fossils are found. 
2 e2 
