New-York tribune., 1842-03-22

testaceo,sz 5a75na. Tl.cnext period cali Ifocezse.
+ from l;;oy Iess and eatyos,=Iccc1t: occal=e ,;
contains q majority OF recent sPecles-a mQca
greater number than the E,ceac but 81. {. minor
itv The next period i thc-p}5ace7e. from -Ac0v
moro. and sal.gs recent because il contains a
olpralitg of the existing species hat IS. ont %
100 species OF shells found in the Eoce1e. one or
TIC only viii be Of those noys living. When the
land had been raised by vocanoeS-ir the Aioccnc
period, abouronc FIFTH or twenty OUT OF the loo
MAY be Identified with existing .pc@es. And #
We come down to=the more modern or Pliocen-p.-
rod more than one halt the shells i4eutifiable-
and sometimes SO out OF the hundred
When the volcano which formed Noun, Dor ina
period distinguishes as recent was Sling the lakes
in that region. by volcanic cruptions lakes aad-aas
in other parts Of Europe were filing Up and that
great distance. L: YOU travel from This noun
tain TO the Loire near Tours YOU may find great
numbers OF marine dcpositons-strata ricn in
shells: and vau may find, TOO. Of the yery
quadrupeds buried BY the ashes and sco:iae and
breccias which iioated down into the and were
buried near the shore in marine Ccpositions
bling u thus prove that those strata we're formed
in the same period. and that the basin OF the Lo-
ire was formed in the same geological period AZ
this Mountain. So also ii Bavaria are MIN La
custrine depostes. and on the Rhine YOU ma, find
shells. Thus extending your observations from
one par: Of Europe to another yol can prove that
in the second period there were volcanoes mai>ing
marine depo,ites. Thus is !, on the borders o; the
Loire between Tours and Mount Dor: and four
ths OF the shells found there are OF now extinct
Species-whe the other iitt!! are still living This
period is called Niocere-a< containing a minors
" OF shells Of existing species
! might remark; that these formations are found
all throughthe United -tatcs. In mr. tour 20 the
South found IN Virginia formations belonging 10
the first or i.ocene period. The whole groupzis
called Tertiary. distinguish from the Second
airy formation. \ friend lately suggested 20 NE
tina, he could never remember the order OF he=di;-
fercnt periocs-Eoccne, 3Iioccne and Piiocenc
until ne observed that twas the natural order Of
their initials l.. NJ. and z. in the alphabet. These
little helps to memory are often Of cons siderable
value. Richmond Va, at Wilmington, y.
c. and for 40 miles on the Santcc river and be-
tween Augusta and Savannah found Eoceue -tr.-
ia. containing shells OF "a species Identical with
those found in the Paris basin; the same Shells
found all along=vOur coast us You have
on the James river beautifully developed the
rine Niocenc stlata-and tili- fact has before been
pointed out by RODGERS and other American Ge-
ologists, whose observations | am only confirming
and perhaps adding something Of my own. You
see there trc strata containing marine species IN
nearly the same proportion rs those the Lore.
But must not spend time upon,fcse mattcr.lcst
pass over the main object of The present lecture
If you had examined a portion Of this Country
when the Lacustrne and Eoccnc strata were large
II developed and should then 20 some 90 or 30
miles from Mount Dor and explore the ALLEY Of
tlatpart OF France, when on all the hill sides you
found nothing but fresh formations you
might say that between the white rnarls that
tam these shells and the other period there was
nothing intervening cXccr. thin stratum ot=Tegct-
able soil; and tllat therefore Ca inside of reason
often followed by gcoogists,) there must have
been sudden transition fromihat state Of the globe
under which the PalU0thcria lived. and when
shells pcoplcd the lakcs-crocodes. turtles. &c
Ia the present; that there must have keen sud-
den annlhllatlon-a sweeping away OF existing IA
ccs. and an introduction OF those that inlabt
it. But when you pass to Mount Dor and observe
the manner in which the volcanic strata ovcric the
fresh water, you will see how period must
haze intcrvcRed between tho present and the Eo
ccnc-glvng time for another race CT quadrupeds
the mastodon. hYpopotanus. hvena. and other
animals to suppant the more ancient. But you
may ask might not tis at least have been the last
formation? Examine the great sheets of lava which
arc there. Then follow on and find where sud-
denly they are oil and again rcsumed-il vast
bed OF pumce, and rachytc and basalt correspond !
ing TO a similar the othcr.idc of the val
leg. Consider that instead o! this being the last
IN the series that there has been an excavation of
the great valley, and thrown. up Of the Pnyde
Tartarct and the flowing out OF stream. OF lava
ior 80 miles, and theHa subsequent erosion Of the
ravines by the lava. l}y this time il you a PHI
losopher YOU vii! have acquired more canton, and
will not hastily assert that the AIocenc period was
iIrf
sphere OF your researches YOU were obliged to
abandon your first opinions, and 80 il you tIllia:-
Their enlarge the field Of observation other parts
Of Europe. YOU would see thai there was another
STRAIT, between the Mioccac and our own--aDd
such is the case.
When you have entered Italy and followed the
Appellircs from the 20 Ia Cala5ria you ind low
range OF hills called oY=l}rocc an llian Gcolo-
gis the Sub-Appcnines, consisting Of strata o a
date posteriorto the Mioccne. these W. calithe
Poccne-whicA arc divided into the Older and
Newer Plioceue. shall not dwell upon The first
bu, allude TO the Newer Pocenc. Or moro Inotern
part Of the group. In the SOUTHEASTERN part Of
Sicily we haze an cxampl.=oi marine formation.
oi the Newer Hl!oceac. There rocks OF ma
rinc origin in winch you would ;rst say thar all
the shells We're the these thai people
the waters .. the MeCiterraacua; and vet wil".=
YOU CONS 20 more =arciu! examination you n,i!I
ind that euc-trilh are OF species never seen m
iila sea. These rocks az: sometimes 2001 feet
,!lick. ard itwould be easy. il had ;inlc 10 DE-
scribe them infinitely. 10 show thai lhcy had been
accumulated il the same Slow and gradual manner
the tr.->v stIa;sl.ot y lly.rene labor
aed lay the dcpo.itioa OF layer after another.
with this difference, ;hat inihe former tie organic
remains are marine, and in the after they those
Of lakes and therefor. a fresh watet species. Az
other differences that voicanicrock are l-trbu-
ted tearv through the whole thickness OF he