102 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



cabinets of Silurian, Carboniferous, and Post-tertiary fossils, 

 had been examined by a large number of visitors, who had 

 expressed the great pleasure these exhibitions had afforded them. 

 He had been assured by many of the distinguished foreigners 

 who had been present that they had never seen collections 

 in which the specimens were so perfect, and where the 

 mountings, whether for the microscope or cabinet, were so well 

 executed, and the arrangement so admirable. He trusted that 

 the workers would not rest contented with what they had 

 accomplished, but that, as every day was bringing to light some 

 new discoveries, either in living or extinct forms, they would 

 continue their investigations and collections, so that, when 

 another opportunity offered, they might be found to surpass any 

 former exhibition. 



3 1st October, 1876. 



Mr Thomas Chapman, Vice-President, in the chair. 

 Mr James Grahame was elected an ordinary member of the 

 Society. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



Mr John Young, F.G.S., exhibited a series of slides of mounted 

 specimens of Carboniferous silicious sponge spicules found in the 

 fissures of the limestone strata at Cunningham Bedland, near 

 Dairy, Ayrshire. The discovery of the sponge spicules in this 

 deposit is due to the researches of Mr John Smith of Eglinton 

 Iron Works, Kilwinning, he having submitted specimens of the 

 organisms to Mr Young for determination during the course of 

 last summer. Previous to this discovery by Mr Smith, no remains 

 of silicious sponges had been noted from the Carboniferous strata 

 of the British Isles, so that their abundant occurrence in the 

 limestone of the above district is a point of great interest. The 

 bed of limestone in which they are found lies in the lower division 

 of the Carboniferous series of Western Scotland, and crops out 

 on the west bank of the glen at Cunningham Bedland, where it 

 has been worked in former years. The limestone is traversed at 

 intervals by thin bands of silica, and many of the organisms it 

 contains are found in a silicified condition. A narrow trap dyke 



