37$ Scientific Intelligence. — Geology. 
First FJcetz Limestone, will become a member of the Transition 
series. To this union of the alpine limestone, and transition 
limestone, a difficulty occurs, in regard to the salt and gypsum 
deposit, of the Alps. These, however, we must still consider 
as secondary. 4t. The serpentine, in Liguria, is associated with 
masses of diallage rock (euphotide), variolite, and compact 
black diallage porphyry, like that near Girvan in Ayrshire. 
They occur, in immense bed-like veins, in black limestone, and 
talcose mica-slate ; and the whole is nearly vertically disposed. 
The mica-slate contains also masses of gypsum ; and curious al- 
ternations occur, at the lines of junction of the serpentine, with 
the mica-slate and limestone. In eastern Liguria the serpen- 
tine forms distinct veins or dikes, amongst the calcareous grey- 
wacke ; which veins widen as they approach the surface, and at 
length their mass is observed overlying the greywacke, on each 
side of the vein. At Borghetto and Prato the marly-slates, in 
the vicinity of the serpentine, are changed into yellowish jaspi- 
deous rocks, resembling these met with near the trap-rocks of 
Scotland. Similar appearances occur at Girvan in Ayrshire, 
also in Italy, at Impruneta, Monte Cerboli, near Volterra, north 
of Florence. The diallage porphyry, and variolite, are always 
on the under side of the serpentine dikes in Liguria : the va- 
riolite has the structure of pearl-stone ; and, in some veins, ser- 
pentine and diallage rock occur together. When slates, with 
limestone nodules, are near serpentine, there is sometimes form- 
ed a kind of euphotide breccia with nodules of granular lime- 
stone. 5. We may add to the alluvial phenomena of the “ Sy- 
noptical Table,” the subterranean volcanic hot aqueous vapours 
of boracic acid of Monte Cerboli, and also the salses. 6. In 
the Yicentine are immense dikes or veins of augite por- 
phyry, forming series of hillocks ; and in them the galena and 
pyrites veins of the Val Zuccanti. The chalk near to the 
porphyry is converted into a kind of transition limestone. Mass- 
es of porphyry were also observed, protruding from the chalk ; 
and near to Schio, M. Passini found the porphyry associated 
with small masses of granite, like that of Predazza. 7. In the 
Tyrol the Seefeld fossil fishes appear to occur in bituminous ter- 
tiary marl. 
