Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 203 



is not unusual to find stilbite in the cavities formed by the 

 decomposition. 



Zeolites also have been found disseminated through the 

 texture of basalt, clinkstone, &c., like the feldspar, augite, 

 fee. But the proportion varies widely, and in some parts of 

 the same bed they are found to be wanting ; so that we have 

 sufficient reason for classing these disseminated zeolites with 

 those in the cavities, as formed or introduced by infiltration. 



(To be contiuued.) 



Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 

 Monday J 2d March 1846. 

 Sir Thomas M. Brisbane, Bart., President, in the Chair. 

 The following Communications were read : — 



1. On the recent Scottish Madrepores, with Remarks on the 

 Climatic Character of the Extinct Races. By the Rev. 

 Dr Fleming. 



The author, in this communication, referred, in the first instance, 

 to the three species of Lamellif'erous Polyparia, described in his 

 *' British Animals," Edin., 1828, exhibiting specimens of the Caryo- 

 phyllea cyathusy and Turbinolia horealis of that work, together with 

 a characteristic drawing, by the late Mrs Hibbert, of the Pocillopora 

 interstinctay there alluded to as a native of the Zetland seas. He 

 then exhibited a specimen, six pounds in weight, of the Madrepora 

 prolifera of Miiller, which was found last summer by fishermen, 

 their lines having become entangled with it, in the sea between the 

 islands of Rum and Egg. This species was known to Pontoppidan, 

 as a native of the Norwegian seas, and is now ascertained to be a 

 native of the Hebrides. 



The author next exhibited specimens of the Turbinolia sepulta of 

 the crag, together with a new and recent species from the Cape of 

 Good Hope. In conclusion, the author observed, that while, from 

 an acquaintance with the habits of a few individuals^ we could safely 

 speculate respecting the geographical and physical distribution of a 

 species, we cannot, from our acquaintance with the history of one species 

 of a genus, predicate with any confidence respecting the character of 

 other species of the same genus. Thus, there are species of Madre- 

 pores natives of tropical seas, and there are species natives of the 

 North seas. After illustrating his views by a reference to the species 

 of the genera Bos and Elepha^y the author closed his observations by 

 stating, that the evidence, proving the climate, during the deposition 



