106 J. MATTHEWS ON THE HISTOBY AND 



tainly very quietly and below the surface — if I may use such an ex- 

 pression. I cannot help thinking that their results ought to appear 

 more frequently in the shape of papers and discussions in our trans- 

 actions, to which they would impart an unfading interest and value. 

 And now, in relation to my own share of the exchange on which I 

 have laid so much stress, I must aver that it has ever been a cause 

 of much regret to me that the excursions take place on a day of the 

 week which my professional duties forbid my using for that purpose. 

 My opportunities for the pursuit of Natural History are thus very 

 rare. It is an almost trite saying, " that a medical man's work is 

 never done," so that, as I very rarely know when I shall have a 

 leisure afternoon, I cannot arrange to have the company of a friend, 

 and thus such excursions are neither so pleasant nor so profitable as 

 if I had the society and ready aid of some of the gentlemen whom I 

 now see before me. To a great degree, then, I am compelled to rely 

 upon my vacations, alas ! too few and far between ! Yet, out of them, 

 I do manage to get work for a few months after, as you shall now hear. 

 Some three months or more ago, I paid a visit to Llangollen. On 

 a mantel-piece at the house of my friend there, whose wife is an 

 ardent naturalist, an obelisk, fashioned out of what appeared to be 

 black marble, attracted my notice, as it was evidently full of 

 organic remains. On enquiry, I was informed that the stone came 

 from a quarry near Corwen, a town west of Llangollen. Of course, 

 I went there as soon as possible, and found that the formation was 

 full of fossils, and presented features of the highest interest. I may 

 also tell you that there is a range of lofty limestone cliffs, which I 

 visited, called the Eglwyseg Rocks to the north of Llangollen, 

 running parallel with the beautiful vale, and from two to three miles 

 long, which has been extensively quarried, and is, therefore, easily 

 open to inspection. This also abounds with similar fossils, of which 

 1 subjoin a list, furnished to me, by a local authority, and corrected 

 by Mr. Newton of our club : — 



Corals (Ccelenterata.) 



Lonsdaleia (species of) 



Lithostrotion irregulare. 



„ basaltiforme . 



Syringopora juncea. 



„ reticulata. 



