Proceedings of the Werner Ian Society, 163 



Mr Stirling being about to return to India, was elected a cor- 

 responding member of the Society. The meeting authorized the 

 purchase of a complete coloured copy of the " Zoological Journal,'* 

 for the Society's library. 



April 16. — Dr R. K. Greville, formerly V. P. in the Chair. 

 A notice was read on the dolomization of the marble limestones of 

 Skye, with analyses of the same, shewing their magnesian character. 

 The author also stated his views in regard to the geognostical rela- 

 tion of the Plutonian rocks of Skye, which he referred to the por- 

 phyry and trap formations. He noticed, besides, the rock of St 

 Kilda and the granite of Arran, both of which exhibit several of 

 the characters of the porphyry series, and may probably, in a 

 geognostical sense, be considered porphyries rather than granites. 

 The blunders in observation, and the wholesale appropriation to 

 himself of the geology of Scotland (in despite of all the published 

 and unpublished accounts of Scottish, English, and German geolo- 

 gists,) by Dr MacCuUoch, were noticed ; and it was remarked by 

 several members, that a better spirit was now generally abroad, and 

 that few were disposed to follow in the path of the author of the 

 Geology of the Hebrides. 



Mr Torrie, Assistant Secretary, read a communication from Ed- 

 ward Hamilton Stirling, Esq. on the Calaite or Mineral Turquois 

 Mines of Nishapur in Persia. 



James Robertson, Esq., Mining Engineer (who is appointed by 

 the government at Teheran to conduct mining operations in Persia) 

 was elected a corresponding member. 



April 30 Robert Ja3IESon, Esq. President, in the Chair. Mr 



Torrie read a letter from M. de Moligny, dated Besan^on, 8th 

 September 1835, giving an account of a tremendous fall of the 

 mountain called the Dent du Midi. It was therein stated, that a 

 space of about two square leagues, extending from the base of the 

 mountain to the Rhone was covered by the debris, in some cases 

 to the depth of ten or twelve feet. 



Professor Jameson took notice of a shower of hail which had occur- 

 red immediatelybefore the time of meeting this day, mentioning that 

 he and several other members of the Society had examined the hail- 

 stones, and ascertained that they were crystallized in the form of dou- 

 ble six-sided pyramids, and at the same time of larger size than usual. 



The Society adjourned till November next. 



