6 2 
SCENERY OF SWITZERLAND. 
paratively slight and the hills of no great height. In 
the Alps the strata are much more violently dis- 
located and folded. 
The mountains seem so high that we are apt to 
exaggerate the relative elevation. The following 
figure (Fig. 6) by Rutimeyer gives the outline of the 
Alps from Basle to near Milan. This section is only 
intended to indicate the relative height, and is sup- 
posed to follow the line of one of the great valleys. 
Even so, however, it ought to have shown the sudden 
dip to the south of the main ridge. 
The folded structure throws light on the curious 
fact that there are much fewer faults in Switzerland 
than in such a region as, for instance, that of our 
coal fields. 
In folded districts the contortions are often so 
great that if we could not follow every step they 
would certainly be regarded as incredible. Previous 
folds are themselves in some cases refolded, and in 
others the lateral pressure has not only raised the 
strata into a vertical position, as for instance the 
Chalk and Tertiary sands of Alum Bay in the Isle 
of Wight, but has in some cases pushed the folds 
for miles, and has even thrown them over, so that 
the sequence is inverted, and the more ancient lie 
over the more recent strata in reverse order. As 
