392 
SECOND REPORT -1832. 
But although geographically included in that division, yet as 
being geologically connected with the central European basin, 
the consideration of the Caucasian district appears to belong to 
this place. We have descriptions of the chain itself by Klaproth 
and Kupfer: and M. Boue cites several memoirs on the north¬ 
ern borders, on the Circassian Steppe, and on the coasts of the 
Aral and Caspian seas; from these it appears that the tertiary 
rocks (of which the youngest beds contain shells actually ex¬ 
isting in those seas,) approach to the foot of that chain, and 
being elevated by it, attain a height of 2500 feet; they alter¬ 
nate with fluviatile beds, and repose on a cretaceous formation 
which in its turn covers the oolitic series, forming mountains 
3000 feet high, and skirting the older crest, of which these cir¬ 
cumstances must refer the final elevation to a very late date. 
The countries hitherto considered belong to the great central 
European basin, in which the depositions having been continu¬ 
ous we may naturally expect the greatest uniformity in the struc¬ 
ture and arrangement of the formations. The Southern penin¬ 
sulas of Spain, Italy, and Greece, to which we shall next advert, 
are included in the Mediterranean basin, in which it appears 
clear that the tertiary formations are considerably distinct from 
their northern equivalents; and it may be a question whether 
corresponding differences will not be found in the secondary 
series occupying these separate basins. Yet as a partial answer 
to this inquiry, we may observe that the formations in the north¬ 
ern and southern slopes of the great ridge of separation, the 
Alps, are closely analogous. 
To begin with Spain. In the present state of the literature 
of that peninsula, we must necessarily look to foreigners for our 
only information concerning any point connected with it involv¬ 
ing scientific views. Prof. Hausman however, who has travelled 
through it, has submitted to the Royal Society of Gottingen an 
admirable memoir De Hispanice Constitutione geognostica ; he 
has described the various primitive rocks, and distinguished 
among the secondary formations pcecilite, lias, oolite, green¬ 
sand and chalk ; Dufrenoy is of opinion that the salt deposit of 
Cardona is tertiary, and the adjacent puddingstone of Mont¬ 
serrat equivalent to the Swiss nagelflue. 
In Italy we have various memoirs from Catullo and others 
the river Ural; the saliferous steppes bordering on the Caspian are probably 
tertiary; the variegated sandstone, zechstein, rothe todte, and coal formation 
reposing on grauwacke, constitute the hills on the right bank of the Donetz; 
variegated sandstone prevails from the banks of the Volga to Perm; east of 
which zechstein occurs, and transition limestone skirts the western flank of the 
primitive crest of the Oural chain. 
