KABDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



141 



little book in its last number ; the writer evidently 

 sympathized with Mr. Alcock's well- carried-out 

 intention. Mr. Alcock has simplified and explained 

 the Latin and Greek words very ably, and has 

 further given the right mode of pronouncing them. 

 A capital sketch of the history of botanical nomen- 

 clature, &c, is also given. The book is published 

 by L. Beeve & Co. 



The Sphagnace.e of Europe and North 

 America. — We are glad to learn that Dr. Braith- 

 waite has arranged to publish, as a monograph, the 

 twenty-six beautiful plates which appeared in the 

 Monthly Microscopical Journal, and to append to 

 them a full account of the literature and anatomy of 

 the order. Dr. Braithwaite has also in preparation 

 a volume of Sphagnacea; Britannicce Exsiccata;, to 

 embrace, on fifty sheets imperial quarto, the choicest 

 dried specimens of all the forms. The difficulty in 

 obtaining full sets of these will necessarily limit the 

 issue, which we believe is to be confined to fifty- 

 two subscribers. 



GEOLOGY. 



The Physical History of the Dee, Wales.— 

 This was the title of a most interesting paper re- 

 cently read before the Geological Society by Prof. 

 A. C. Bamsay. The author stated that he regarded 

 the valley of the Dee as mainly preglacial through- 

 out, and sketched the physical history of the region 

 through which it runs. The Silurian rocks were 

 much disturbed and denuded before and during the 

 Carboniferous period, and the carboniferous lime- 

 stone was deposited very uncomformably on the 

 upturned edges of both lower and upper Silurian 

 strata, and once spread all over the region, probably 

 overlain by the millstone grit and coal-measures, as 

 now in the east of Denbighshire and Flintshire. 

 The region was again disturbed and elevated during 

 the formation of the Permian deposits, and then by 

 subaerial denudation a great part of the carboni- 

 ferous series was removed down to the old plain of 

 denudation" of the Silurian rocks, the surface of 

 which thus probably stood higher than it does at 

 present, being in the midst of a broad continental 

 area. Erom a consideration of the conditions of 

 deposition of the mesozoic and tertiary formations, 

 the author concluded that, from the beginning of 

 the Permian to that of the Glacial epoch, the higher 

 ground of Wales was land well raised above the 

 sea, except perhaps during the deposition of the 

 chalk, and that during all this period it was'exposed 

 to the influence of subaerial agents of denudation. 

 He indicated the conditions of elevation of the old 

 table-land of carboniferous rocks, and showed that 

 it had probably a slope towards the east and north- 

 cast to the extent of about 23 feet in a mile. The 



1 drainage of this land then flowed in an easterly snd 

 north-easterly direction along the earliest channel 

 of the Dee, which would be at an elevation from 

 1,300 to 1,400 feet higher than the present channel. 

 During the Glacial epoch ice-action deepened, and 

 more or less modified the existing channel, and 

 scooped out the basin of Bala Lake, which was not 

 previously in existence. The general results of this 

 investigation are as follows : — After the last im- 

 portant disturbance of the pre-permian rocks, North 

 Wales was carved slowly and by subaerial agencies 

 into its present mountainous form, chiefly between 

 permian and preglacial times. The work of the 

 glaciers of the latter period somewhat deepened, 

 widened, smoothed, and striated the minor outlines 

 of the mountains and valleys, and excavated many 

 rock-bound lake-basins, but did not effect any great 

 changes in the contours of the country. A minor 

 submergence of part of Britain during part of the 

 Glacial epoch produced no important effects on 

 the large outlines of the rocky scenery ; and the 

 effects of subaerial waste subsequent to the Glacial 

 epoch have been comparatively small. 



Organic Bemains in the Metamorfhic Bocks 

 of Harris. — Prof. Nicholson and Mr. James 

 Thomson, E.G.S., announce that that they have 

 recently discovered evidence of life in the so-called 

 "Laurentian Bocks" of Harris, in the Hebrides. 

 The specimens are clearly organic in their structure, 

 and are well and minutely preserved. Messrs. 

 Nicholson and Thomson are now engaged on a 

 microscopical examination of the specimens ; but 

 they have first very properly drawn attention to 

 the interesting fact that unequivocal organic bodies 

 occur in such ancient deposits as the lowest meta- 

 morphic rocks of Harris. The skeletons of the 

 fossils discovered are little altered, and are believed 

 to be calcareous. It is suggested that a full know- 

 ledge of these ancient structures will materially 

 assist in settling the Eozoon controversy. 



"On some Fossiliferous Cambrian Shales 

 near Carnarvon." — Messrs. J. E. Marr and Henry 

 Hicks, E.G.S., read a paper before the Geological 

 Society, on March 8th, on the above subject. The 

 shales described extend from about three miles S.W. 

 of Carnarvon to Bangor, running nearly parallel to 

 the Menai Straits. They are faulted against Lower 

 Cambrian to the east, and disappear against a dyke 

 on the west. The shales vary from greyish-black to 

 bluish-black in colour, and are generally sandy and 

 micaceous, but in places chiefly clayey. Fossils were 

 obtained from three places on the banks of the 

 Seiont ; namely, Point Seiont (where the beds are 

 concretionary in structure), along the whole tram- 

 way from Carnarvon to Wanttle, and near Pelbig 

 Bridge. The first-named locality is richest in fossils ; 

 and here there is a greenstone dyke parallel to the 

 bedding of the rock, and altering the shales for 



