. Palestine : the physical geography and natural history of the Holy Land. lves of theMediterranean. Pococke found a large quantity of them in the rocks which border on theDead Sea. The quantity of shells in various states around this lake, but not near its waters,seems indeed to be very remarkable. Not to mention the myriads of small unpetrified shellswhich are strewn over the plain at its northern extremity, it may be observed that the cal-careous mountains which are near Kerek, to the east from the southern extremity of theAsphaltic lake, abound in petrified shells; and some of the rocks co
. Palestine : the physical geography and natural history of the Holy Land. lves of theMediterranean. Pococke found a large quantity of them in the rocks which border on theDead Sea. The quantity of shells in various states around this lake, but not near its waters,seems indeed to be very remarkable. Not to mention the myriads of small unpetrified shellswhich are strewn over the plain at its northern extremity, it may be observed that the cal-careous mountains which are near Kerek, to the east from the southern extremity of theAsphaltic lake, abound in petrified shells; and some of the rocks consist entirely of smallshells. Such shells are also found in great numbers in the ascent, southward, from the deepvalley of the river Arnon (now Modjeb) to the high plains. In the far southward prolongation of the same line, that is, on the Sinai shore of theyElanitic Gulf, shells are found in precisely similar combinations. The largest plain on this ? Elliot, b Memoires du Chev. dArvieux, tome ii. p. 393. c Volney, ii. 280; DArvieux, ii. 393; Elliot, ii. [Petrified Fish, embedded.] Chap. Ill] GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. lxix coast is that between Sherm and Nakb, towards the extremity of the peninsula. The whole ofthis plain appears to be alluvial; and many petrified shells are found embedded in the chalkyand calcareous soil. Alluvial deposits, in a state more fresh and recent, are found in anopposite, quarter of the peninsula, that is, in the desert somewhat to the north by east of thepresent head of the Gulf of Suez. Here Burckhardt notes, The plain was covered with asaline crust, and we crossed a tract of ground about five minutes in breadth, covered with sucha quantity of small white shells that it appeared at a distance like a strip of salt. Shells ofthe same species are found on the shores of the lake of Tiberias. Once, probably, the seacovered the whole of this ground. We notice this here, as every geological or other indica-tion of alteration at the head of th
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