256 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
Then in later times (Miocene) those same mountains were the 
haunt of mastodons and rhinoceroses, the hipparion, and the 
stag ; and the dinothere frequented the waters of Miocene lakes, 
which were in existence when the Cantal was vomiting forth its 
volcanic fires, and Mont Dore was sending forth streams of lava 
twenty miles in length. 
On crossing the Allier from Vielle Brioude on our way to Le 
Puy, we pass over the base of the granitic rocks which rise 
into the mountains of La Chaise Dieu and Le Forez. Here and 
there deep wooded ravines diversify the scene, and at Paul- 
hagnet we come upon recent volcanic masses which have burst 
through the granitic rocks, and which probably belong to the 
same age as the outbursts of the Puys de Dome near Clermont. 
Near a place called Fix, the granite rocks appear again, and 
soon after we strike the volcanic eruptions of Mont Denise, and 
those around Le Puy. The most unimaginative sightseer can 
hardly look upon Le Puy en Velay without feeling a thrill when 
his eye rests for the first time upon that city with its Cathedral 
and its great pyramidal rock masses, the Rocher de Corneille 
and St. Michel. Le Puy is a strikingly picturesque town, 
with its lofty cathedral and two pyramids of rock, the one sadly 
defaced by a great coarse-looking statue in bronzed iron of the 
Virgin ; the other surmounted by a strange old church. The 
town is built on the south side of Mont Anis in the form of an 
amphitheatre, and the Place de Meriel is a fine square with public 
buildings, while the streets are many of them narrow and 
odoriferous. The first impulse of the traveller is to make his 
way to one of the rock pyramids which he sees rising from 
the town ; but which the narrowness of the streets and height 
of the houses hide from his view when exploring the streets 
themselves. The Cathedral stands below the Rocher de Cor- 
neille at the head of some steep streets. Portions of this vener- 
able church are said to date from the eighth century, after 
the Saracens had been driven beyond the Pyrenees by Charles 
Martel (a.d. 732). The portico at the western entrance is grand. 
Flight after flight of stone steps must be ascended before we 
enter the lofty portal of noble vaulted arches, supported on 
pillars of Romanesque character. The doors under two side 
arches are carved with rude figures, said to be of great antiquity. 
The interior of the church is similar in character to the other 
early churches of Auvergne, with the exception of the vault, 
which is divided into two bays, each of which is domed. The 
interior of the building is degraded by a number of trashy 
pictures. We went near to the image of the Black Virgin of 
Le Puy, as no service was going on, and saw also a large paint- 
ing of a procession of bishops, priests, and public functionaries, 
on the occasion of a jubilee. The literature on this subject 
