163 



thirty answers were received, but only ten promising essays. 



The Council beg therefore again to urge upon the Society, 

 that there is great necessity for individual exertion in those 

 who have the well-being of the Society at heart. 



In conclusion, the retiring Council beg to recommend the 

 following gentlemen to be elected, to serve for the ensuing 

 year : — viz. D. P. Thomson, M.D., Messrs. Edward Higgin, 

 and J. Mayer, the Rev. J. Robberds, and Dr. Brett. 



The Treasurer's accounts were read and passed. 



The Society then proceeded to elect by ballot Office-bearers 

 — (vide ante). Dr. Inman having expressed a wish to retire 

 from the Secretaryship, Dr. D. P. Thomson was chosen in his 

 place. 



Mr. J. P. G. Smith proposed a vote of thanks to Dr. 

 Inman, for the very efficient services rendered, during a period 

 of nearly three years, while he acted as Honorary Secretary. 

 This was seconded by Mr. Heath and carried unanimously. 



The resignation of Mr. Waldie was received and accepted. 



Mr. McAndrew exhibited some impressions of the leaves 

 of a dicotyledonous tree, discovered by the Duke of Argyle, 

 at the promontory of Aidture, in the Isle of Mull, and de- 

 scribed by his Grace at the last meeting of the British Asso- 

 ciation. These fossils, which belong to the tertiary formation, 

 are found in layers of shale, between beds of basalt; the 

 arrangement as exposed by a natural ravine near the sea, 

 being as follows in descending order : — 1st, bed of basalt; 

 2nd, thin stratum of vegetable matter, chiefly leaves, but 

 neither trunks nor twigs of trees ; 3rd, bed of tuflF, or vol- 

 canic ash, resembling that from Auvergne ; 4th, a second 

 bed of shale and fossils ; 5th, a second bed of tuff ; 6th, a 

 third bed of organic remains, but not so abundant as in the 

 others; 7th, thick bed of amorphous basalt; and 8th, 

 columnar basalt dipping into the sea. These fossils being 

 comparatively recent, and being met with in an island almost 

 exclusively composed of trap, excepting where, near the shore, 



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