' V * 
■m 
8BKNK 
The lediterr 
H HDontbl^ Journal of IRatural Science* 
Yol. I., No. 9, 
MALTA, FEBEUAEY 1st. 1892. 
f 4/- Fee AinruH 
\ By post 5/- 
CONTENTS. 
— co — Page 
1 The Botany and Geology of Egypt— Rev, Prof: 
Henslow, M.A., F.G.S., F.L.S. 125 
2 The “Fungus Melitensis—A. Caruana Gatto, B.A. 127 
3 Observations on the Geology of the Maltese Islands— 
John H. Cooke 129 
4 Mediterranean Lepidoptera. Phillip de la Garde R.N. 133 
5 Theories of Mountain Formation— T. Mellard Reade, 
C.E., F.G.S., F,R.I.B.A. 135 
6 Science Gossip : — Annals of British Geology— Endu- 
rance of the camel— Rain-making— New Maltese 
Echinoderms — Distribution of bee-hives— Vesu- 
vius again active— Geographical Society for 
Liverpool — The Golden Plover in Malta— Mani- 
pulation of the Microscope— A curious applica- 
tion of zoological tacts -The olive in Malta See, 138 
mo Tice©. 
The Mediterranean Naturalist is published 
on the 1st of each month. Annual subscription 4s. 
By post 5s. (In advance ) 
Subscriptions:— Cheques or Postal Orders should be 
made payable to J. H. Cooke, The Lyceum, Malta. 
Subscriptions are now due. 
Special Notice to Readers. 
Those of our readers who have not yet sent in 
their subscriptions are kindly requested to do so 
at an early opportunity. 
To Correspondents. 
All communications intended for insertion should 
be written on one side of the paper only ; and should 
reach the Editor cm or before the 12th of the month. 
Whenever an answer is required through the post , 
a stamped and directed envelope should be enclosed. 
Secretaries of Societies are invited to fonvard us 
reports of their proceedings ; and Curators of 
Museums will confer a favour by informing us of 
any new and important additions that may he 
made to their collections. 
Communications for the Editor should be ad- 
dressed to Highland House, St. Julians, Malta. 
9 
The Botany and Geology of Egypt. 
BY 
Eev. Professor Henslow m.a.,f.l.s.,f.g.s. 
The Geology of Egypt is not of a very compli- 
cated character, though the age of some heels is 
difficult to assign. Commencing with the oldest 
period, the beds consist of — (I), a foundvdor:. of 
crumpled Lauren tian rocks, with intrusive masses 
and veins of granitic or aqueo-igneous reeks* as 
in the island of Biggeh at Fhilae. These strata 
are principally developed in the hilly country 
between the Nile and the Pled Sea. (3), Argil- 
laceous , chloritic and other schists, probably pre- 
Cambrian. These are also penetrate ! by basAtic 
and felspathic intrusive dykes. These igneous 
rocks are in the neighbourhood of the Second 
Cataract, and supplied the Ancient Egyptians with 
the materials for many of their statues, and the 
polished blocks of syenite in the intern or of the 
great pyramid. (3) The above palaeozoic crys tal- 
line rocks subsequently formed insular tracts in a 
shallow sea, against which sandstones were de- 
posited. This latter now constitutes the desert 
sandstone, supposed to be of carbon: sror.s or 
devonian age, as it contains Lepidodendron mosai- 
cum. It is conformable with. the next— (4) — or 
Nubian' sandstone, which has been various con- 
sidered as palseozoic or lower cretaceous. the 
probability seems to be that this part c ” Africa 
was dry land throughout the whole A the 
Mesozoic epoch, and that the uppermost bees cf 
sandstone became denuded and were hi in ’’sfcruied 
as cretaceous beds. During the middle and later 
period of the cretaceous epoch the land was sub- 
merged, and the deposits now constitute several 
distinctly recognisable, though confer liable, strata 
visible in the great oasis. They contain species of 
familiar genera, such as Inoceram-us , Sponaylus, 
Gryphcea; Sea-urchins such as our common 
British Anananchytes ovatus ; sponges, like the 
ventriculites of our Brighton flint-pebbles. 
