20 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Silurian to the New Red Marl were represented in 

 the lowdevel Boulder-clay ; a few flints also occurred, 

 and one piece of what was believed to be chalk. 

 The paper concluded with an Appendix by Mr. David 

 Robertson, giving a list of the Foraminifera and 

 other organisms found in the various beds of 

 Boulder-clay in the Atlantic Docks, Liverpool. 



Glacial action in South Brecknockshire 

 and East Glamorganshire. — The above paper 

 was read at the same meeting by T. W. Edgeworth 

 David. The area which it included is about 200 

 square miles, extending north and, south from the 

 Brecknockshire Becons to a line between Cowbridge 

 and the mouth of the Rhymney, of which the Cly 

 valley has been more particularly studied. Most of 

 the rocks on this district, and particularly the Millstone 

 Grit, retain traces of glacial markings. The whole area 

 has a moutonnie aspect. The evidence of glacial 

 action is classified under the following heads : — (1) 

 erratics ; (2) Boulder clay ; (3) shattered and con- 

 torted rock-surfaces ; (4) grooved and striated rock- 

 surfaces. The first three obtain everywhere ; but 

 the last is confined to the coal - basin sandstones 

 in certain localities, to the Millstone Grit at its 

 northern outcrop, and to a small extent of Carboni- 

 ferous Limestone to the north of the latter. (1) The 

 erratics consist of Old Red Sandstone, of various 

 members of the Carboniferous series, of dolomitic 

 conglomerate, Lias, and chalk flints. These, in one 

 district, are derived from Brecknockshire rocks, in 

 another from Glamorganshire. (2) The Boulder- 

 clay contains boulders which are sometimes 5 feet in 

 diameter, generally smoothed, rounded, and striated. 

 It is sometimes 100 feet thick, and is found as high 

 as 1200 feet above the sea. Many sections are 

 described, and percentages of their contents given. 



(3) In certain districts the rocks are much shattered, so 

 as to resemble a breccia, and Boulder-clay has been 

 forced into this —as, for example, near St. Fagan. 



(4) Grooved and striated surfaces are preserved under 

 favourable circumstances. A full description is given 

 of a number of instances, the direction of the strias 

 being recorded, as well as the fall in feet per mile from 

 the summit of the Beacons. The author, in summing 

 up his observations, comes to the conclusion that the 

 erratics in the Eglwysilian and Caevan group were 

 probably, as a rule, transported by floating ice, but 

 that some may be the relics of old moraines ; that 

 the Boulder-clay of South Brecknockshire is chiefly 

 the product on land-ice ; and that the striated rock- 

 surfaces are in some cases the result of glaciers which 

 have descended existing valleys. In other cases they 

 may have been produced by an ice-sheet, which it 

 is possible may have come from the north-west. 



POTHOCITES NOT A FLOWERING PLANT.— Our 



readers will remember that Pothocites, a fossil plant 

 found in the Coal Measures near Edinburgh, has 

 been regarded as a true flowering plant, allied to the 



aroids. From a specimen which has recently turned 

 up, and been described by Mr. R. Kidston, it appears 

 that the "perianth segments" on the strength of 

 which it was deemed a flowering plant, are in reality 

 the reflected segments of sporangia, and that Potho- 

 cites is really related to the Calamites. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Seasonal Appearance of Animals and 

 Plants in Co. Tyrone, Ireland, made by the 

 Rev. S. A. Brenan. — 1873. Bluebell, 7.5 ; orange 

 lily, 17.6. 1874. Snowflake, 14.2 ; thorn bursting, 

 20.2; hive bees clustering, 24.3; laburnum in h\, 

 1.5; orange tip b., 4.5. 1875. Bees and midges 

 active, 4.1 ; snowdrops in fl., 12. 1 ; winter aconite, 

 12. 1 ; orange tip b., 21.4. 1877. Snowdrops in fl., 

 27.I ; dandelion, 27. 1 ; gooseberries bursting, 13.2 ; 

 crocus in fl., 24.2 ; Ficaria vcrna, 6.3 ; P. fragaria, 

 6.3; wood-sorrel, 10.4; fieldfares and redwings 

 seen, 21.4; lilac in fl., 31.5; first horse-fly, 17.6. 

 1878. Bats flying about, 17. 1 ; Ficaria verna, 11.2 ; 

 white potentilla, 11. 2; gadfly on snowdrops, 2.3; 

 daffodils in fl., 3.3; coltsfoot, 1 1.3; gooseberries in 

 fl., 14.3; wood-sorrel, 5 .4 ; thrush fully fledged, 6.4 ; 

 orange tip b., 5.5 ; lilac in fl., 7.5 ; Orchis mas. and 

 bluebells in fl., 7.5; dog-rose in fl., 5.6. 1879. 

 Snowdrops in fl., 12.2 ; bat flying about, 27.2 ; signs 

 of growth, 27.2 ; crocus in fl., 5.3 ; dandelion, 8.3 ; 

 coltsfoot in fl., 21.3 ; daffodils, 27.3 ; Ficaria verna, 

 31.3; white potentilla, 31.3; vegetation pushing 

 forth as forward as it would be in February, 2.4; 

 sycamore in leaf, 23.4; apple-trees and lilac in fl., 

 1.6; laburnum, 4.6; yellow flag, 25.6; dog-rose, 

 5.7; vegetation was six or seven weeks later than 

 usual ; very wet summer ; no horse-flies first seen, 

 24.7 ; hawthorn not out of flower, July 20th ; corn- 

 crake calling, U.S. 1880. Snowdrops appearing, 4.2 ; 

 signs of vegetation, 13.2; white potentilla, 4.2; 

 dandelion, 21.2; crocus in A., 28.2; snowflake, 28.2 ; 

 coltsfoot, 29.2; Ficaria vcrna, 6.3; daffodils, n. 3; 

 gooseberries in fl., 19.3 ; balsam poplar in leaf, 19.3; 

 white ribes in fl., 19.3; wild anemone, 23.3; larch 

 bursting, 28.3; elm budding, 4.4; horse-chesnut 

 bursting, 5.4; sycamore in leaf, 9.4; goldilocks in 

 fl., 12.4; Caltha palustris, 12. 4; orange tip b.,30.4; 

 yellow pimpernel, Orchis mas. and bluebell in fl., 1.5; 

 swifts appeared, 10.5 ; lilac in fl., 14. 5 ; wild rose in 

 fl., 9.6 ; honeysuckle, 10.6 ; yellow flag, 10.6 ; swifts 

 left, 14.8 ; hardly any bloom on hawthorn. 18S1. 

 Snowdrops in fl., 9.2 ; hepatica, 7.3 ; snowflake, 9.3; 

 coltsfoot, 15.3 ; visible vegetation in trees and shrubs, 

 14.3; crocus in fl., 14.3; daffodils in fl., 17.3; 

 Ficaria vcrna, 17.3; gooseberries in fl., 13.4; bal- 

 sam poplar bursting, 13.4; larch bursting, 13. 4; 

 white ribes in fl., 15.4; whitethorn bursting, 15.4; 

 may-flowers, 24.4; swifts appeared, 10.5; the flor- 

 escence of the hawthorn was very profuse ; corncrake 

 heard last time, August 1st, at Allan Rock. 1882. 

 Snowdrops and hepatica in fl. at Ballinderry, 10. 1 ; 

 aconite, 14. 1 ; hepatica, 15. 1 ; dandelion anil daisies, 

 16. 1; white potentilla, 18. 1; snowdrops, 23.1 ; 

 crocus and snowflake, 11. 2; coltsfoot, 14.2; daffo- 

 dils, 15.2 ; Ficaria vcrna in full fl., 20.2 ; wild straw- 

 berry and white ribes in fl., 7.3 ; wild anemone and 

 wood-sorrel in fl., 9.3 ; horse-chesnut and sycamore in 

 leaf, 17.3; gooseberries in fl., 1 7. 3; laurel in fl., 

 17.3; thrush with young, 8.4; bluebottle fly ap- 

 peared, 10.4 ; cuckoo flower in fl., 13.4 ; goldilocks, 

 13.4; yellow pimpernel, 13. 4; bluebell, 14. 4 ; 

 wych elm in fl., 17. 4. 



