On tJte Submergence of Coniinenls. C9 



cond coarse limestone, the siliceous limestone, and the gypsum 

 deposits. 



Fourth Epoch. — Irruption of a great quantity of fresli water, 

 charged with clays and marls, in the midst of which there are 

 still found some deposits of marine bivalve shells. The basin 

 is now only an immense brackish pool. 



Fifth Epoch. — The basin ceases to communicate with the 

 ocean, and the level of its waters falls below that of the waters 

 of the sea. The muddy deposits of the continental waters con- 

 tinue. 



Sixth Epoch. — Accidental irruption of the ocean, which de- 

 posits sands and the upper marine sandstones. Immediately 

 after, the basin, nearly filled up, contains only fresh water of 

 little depth ; it receives fewer streams ; vegetables and animals 

 are established in it ; the buhrstones and the fresh water lime- 

 stone are deposited. 



Seventh and Last Epoch. — The succession of these various 

 operations is terminated by the diluvian cataclysm. 



From the preceding analysis, it will be seen that the object 

 of M. Prevost's memoir is not to make known new facts, but to 

 bring together a great number of curious facts, to discuss their 

 characters, to determine their influence, to compare those which 

 appear capable of comparison, and to endeavour to get at the 

 causes by means of certain suppositions which may be more or 

 less probable. Attempts of this kind have certainly their im- 

 portance and their utility in geology ; they present, liowever, 

 great difficulties, and we ought to be the more indulgent to M. 

 Prevost for having engaged in them, that he has done so with 

 remarkable ingenuity. We have therefore the honour of pro- 

 posing to the Academy that his memoir be printed in the Ke^ 

 cueil des Savans Etrangers. 



On tlve History and Constitution of Benefit or Friendly Societies. 

 By Mr W. Fraser, Edinburgh. Continued from p. 296 

 of former Volume. 



N the preceding Number of this Journal a summary was given 

 of the investigations of the Highland Society of Scotland, and of a 

 Select Committee of the House of Commons in 1825, into the 



