MiscellaneoiLS, 213 



a notice was given of the junction of the Carboniferous and Silurian 

 rocks at a locality called M'Cara's Brook. 



Feb. 5. — A paper was read " On Raised Beaches and the Shells 

 found in them, occurring on the coast of Essex near Walton." By 

 J. Brown, Esq., of Stan way. 



The object of this paper was to direct attention to the fact, that 

 low raised beaches exist on this part of the eastern coast, and that 

 they contain fossils, not only marine but freshwater, and confined to 

 a small number of species, though individuals are very numerous. 

 It was also the wish of Mr. Brown to bring these raised beaches into 

 comparison with the beds called " Till " in the Clyde valley. 



A paper was next read " On the Geology of the vicinity of the 

 Wollondilly River, in Argyle County, in the colony of Sydney, New 

 South Wales." By the Rev. W. B. Clarke. 



The district described by the author is chiefly occupied by igneous 

 rocks, upon which sedimentary rocks of the carboniferous period 

 repose unconformably. The igneous rocks consist of granite and 

 syenite, of porphyries, basalt and trachyte. They pass into and 

 occasionally intersect one another, and are traversed by numerous 

 dykes of igneous rocks of various kinds. The sedimentary rocks are 

 not less violently disturbed, and have become greatly altered in every 

 place where they have been brought into contact with the granite. 



A communication was also made by Dr. Fitton, " On the Beds of 

 the Lower Greensand of the Isle of Wight." 



Dr. Fitton, after describing the general structure of the back of the 

 Isle of Wight, alluded to the numerous fissures or chines found in 

 these localities. He also described the different beds of the lower 

 greensand, and mentioned the fossils most charactei'istic of each of 

 them. He concluded by alluding to some of the fossils from the 

 Neocomian beds of the Continent, and mentioned the fact that these 

 foreign strata are strictly contemporaneous with the lower greensand 

 of England. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



FALCO ISLANDICUS. 



A SPECIMEN of the Iceland falcon (Falco Islandicus) was shot near 

 the North Tyne last week. It was a young male bird of the last 

 year. This species was for a long time considered identical Math the 

 Gyr falcon of Greenland, until the difference was pointed out by 

 Mr. J. Hancock, during the week that the meetings of the British 

 Association for the Advancement of Science were held in Newcastle*. 

 It is a very rare species in England, few instances of its capture being 

 on record. In Iceland it appears to be not very uncommon during 

 the summer months, where it breeds, but its equatorial migrations 

 do not generally bring it so far south. The flight of these birds is 

 powerful in the extreme. Montagu reckons that of the peregrine 

 falcon (which is a closely-allied species to the present, but smaller) 

 to be 150 miles an hour. At this speed, the distance from Iceland 

 to this country would be easily performed. The present bird, which 

 * Mr. Hancock's paper will be found at p. 241, vol.ii. of the ' Annals.' 



