Ch. XL] 
BRECCIAS IN SICILIAN CAVES. 
141 
wide. It occurs in a secondary limestone, in the Monte 
Grifone, at the base of a rocky precipice about 180 feet above 
the sea. From the foot of this precipice an inclined plane, 
consisting of horizontal tertiary strata, of the newer Pliocene 
period, extends to the sea, a distance of about a mile. 
No. 27. 
a, Monte Grifone. c, Plain of Palermo. 
b, Cave of San Giro. d, Bay of Palermo*. 
The limestone escarpment was evidently once a sea-cliff', and. 
the ancient beach still remains formed of pebbles of various 
rocks, many of which must have been brought from places far 
remote. Broken pieces of coral and shell, especially of oysters 
and pectens, are seen intermingled with the pebbles. Imme- 
diately above the level of this beach serpulas are still found 
adhering to the face of the rock, and the limestone is perforated 
by lithodomi. Within the grotto also, at the same level, simi- 
lar perforations occur, and so numerous are the holes, that the 
rock is compared by Hoffmann to a target pierced by musket 
balls. But in order to expose to view these marks of boring- 
shells in the interior of the cave, it was necessary first to remove 
a mass of breccia, which consisted of numerous fragments of 
rock and an immense quantity of bones imbedded in a dark 
brown calcareous marl. Many of the bones were rolled as if 
partially subjected to the action of the waves. Below this 
breccia, which is about 20 feet thick, was found a bed of sand 
filled with sea-shells of recent species, and underneath the 
* This section is given by Dr. Christie, as of the Cave of San Ciro. — Ed. New 
Phil. J ourn., No. xxiii. Its geographical position and other characters agree so 
precisely with that of Mardolce, described by M. Hoffmann, that it may be ano- 
ther name for the same cave, or one immediately adjoining. 
