HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



21 



" The British Moss Flora." — Part ill. of this 

 book has just appeared, dealing with the family 

 Polytrichacece, and illustrated by five beautifully-got- 

 up plates. We can pass no higher eulogium upon 

 the present part than by saying that it is in every way 

 equal (and we think some of the plates are even 

 superior) to those which have already appeared. It 

 is published at ^s., by the author, Dr. R. Braith- 

 waite, F.L.S., at 303 Clapham Road. 



GEOLOGY. 



The Glacial Beds of the Clyde and Forth. 

 — Mr. T. Mellard Reade, F.G.S., has reprinted a paper 

 on the above subject from the Proceedings of the 

 Liverpool Geological Society. The paper, which deals 

 with the glacial beds of Scotland, is intended by 

 the author as the sequel to investigations previously 

 made in the contiguous glacial beds of Ireland, Mr. 

 Reade concludes : " that there has been a tendency 

 among geologists to unnecessarily complicate glacial 

 phenomena, to raise every gravel bed into a ' ' forma- 

 tion," or bed of sand into a "period," and that the 

 Scotch " Till " is the geological equivalent of the lower 

 part, if not the whole of our English marine boulder 

 clays and sands. That, in fact, as the land subsided 

 the materials brought down by glaciers were scattered 

 over the sea-bottom in distant localities, forming our 

 marine boulder clays ; whilst nearer the source, in 

 front of and probably under the glaciers while in 

 a state of semi-flotation, the unfossiliferous " Till " 

 was formed. The stones and heavier material would 

 be shed more profusely near the land, and the 

 finer materials would be taken farther out and 

 deposited in the sea. 



Abnormal Geological Deposits in the 

 Bristol District. — An important paper on this 

 subject has just been read by Mr. Charles Moore, 

 F.G.S., of Bath, before the Geological Society. The 

 author remarked that the Frome district shows 

 numerous unconformable Secondary deposits and 

 "vein-fissures" resting upon or passing down 

 through the Carboniferous Limestone. He especially 

 described the occurrence of Post-pliocene, Liassic, 

 and Rhaetic deposits in the Microlestes-quarry near 

 Shepton Mallett. Here the lower part of a fissure 

 is filled with a brown marl, containing crystals 

 of carbonate of lime, and numerous remains of 

 Arvicolse, frogs, birds, and fishes. The jaws of 

 Arvicola were very abundant. He then proceeded 

 to describe the occurrence of similar phenomena in 

 the Bristol area, as at Durdham and Clifton 

 Downs, in the gorge of the Avon at Clifton, at 

 Ashton and Westbury-on-Trym, in the Yate rock, in 

 Nettlebury quarry, at Clevedon, and on the Thorn- 

 bury railway. He noticed the occurrence in the 

 infillings of fissures traversing the Carboniferous 



Limestone of these localities of fossil remains be- 

 longing to various geological ages ; and he especially 

 called attention to the presence in different deposits 

 of an immense number of small tubular bodies of 

 doubtful origin, for which, should they prove to be 

 of organic nature, he proposed the name of Tubntdla 

 ambigiia. By different authorities these little bodies 

 have been assimilated to Serpulse (Filograna), insect- 

 tubes, and the casts of the fine roots of plants. With 

 regard to the age of the fissure-deposits, the author 

 remarked that although in some fissures the infilling 

 shows a mixture of organisms, in most cases each 

 " vein " appeai^s to have an individuality of its own, and 

 thus the veins represent intervals of geological time 

 clearly distinct from one another, different fissures 

 showing infillings of alluvium, Oolite, Lias, Rha:;tic 

 and Keuper beds. The presence of his Tubutella he con- 

 sidered to indicate freshwater conditions. Mr. Moore 

 also referred to the discovery of Thecodontosaurus and 

 Palseosaurus many years ago at the edge of Durdham 

 Down, and discussed the age of the deposit con- 

 taining them, which was originally supposed to be 

 Permian, and was referred by Mr. Etheridge to the 

 Dolomitic Conglomerate at the base of the Keuper. 

 The author stated that he had found remains of the 

 same genera in Rha:tic deposits at Holwell and 

 Clifton Down, and had hence been led to refer the 

 two genera to that age. He stated, however, that 

 he had since discovered teeth of Thecodontosaurus 

 identical with those of the Bristol area in a deposit 

 belonging to the middle of the Upper Keuper at 

 Ruishton near Taunton, and recognised certain dif- 

 ferences between these teeth and those of the same 

 genus from the Rhjetic beds of Holwell ; hence he 

 was led to give up the notion that the former were of 

 Rhsetic age, and to refer them to the Upper Keuper ; 

 but he remarked upon the interesting fact that, while 

 most of the generic forms of the Keuper are repre- 

 sented in the Rhaetic, the species differ. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Starlings and Sky-Larks. — Writing from Car- 

 marthenshire, I notice with much regret that the 

 sky-larks have all but disappeared from these parts. 

 The absence of this prominent and familiar bird 

 causes a void to be felt in the domain of nature, the 

 effect of which on my mind is little short of that 

 produced by the removal of old and valued friends. 

 Some observers charge the starling as being at the 

 root of all the mischief, that he has a quick eye to 

 detect their nests, and does not scruple to help 

 himself to the eggs. This assertion may be gratui- 

 tous ; not supported by sufficient evidence. But it 

 would give me much pleasure if some of your corres- 

 pondents, residing in various parts of the British 

 Islands were to take the matter up and discuss it in 

 its various aspects. By comparing notes in this way 

 we could ascertain whether the scarcity of these very 

 interesting birds of song of our native country is 

 general or only partial. — Aleykr Daniel. 



