Secondly, there is good reason to believe that this asserted negation
is not absolutely true; for I have in my possession what I consider as
proof of the contrary; I found it in Wales, and I think it is in what
may be considered as primitive mountains;--it is the mark of shells in a
stone of that kind.
Thus, I had formed my opinion with regard to this alleged fact, long
before I had seen any description either of the Alps or Pyrennean
mountains; and now I have no reason to change that opinion. It may
indeed be alleged, that the strata of marble or limestone, containing
marine bodies found in those mountains, are secondary strata, and not
the primitive. To this I can give no reply, as the descriptions given of
those strata do not enable me to decide this point.
At the village of Mat, under the Mont Blatten for example, there is a
quarry of schistus or black slate, in which are often found the print
and the bones of fishes. (Discours sur l'Histoire Naturelle de la
Suisse, page 225.). If this may be considered as an alpine or primitive
schistus, it would be decisive of the question: But it would require to
have it well ascertained that this schistus is truly one of those which
are esteemed primitive, or that it is properly connected with them.
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