Intellige7ice and Miscellaneous Articles. 453 



were considered by the author to be those of a bird. In an appendix 

 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 Stanway. 



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 characteristic 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. 



LXVI. Intelligence a7id Miscellaneous Articles. 



REMARKABLE DISCOVERY OF MASTODON BONES IN NEW 

 JERSEY. 



AT a meeting of the American Philosophical Society, December 6, 

 1844, Prof. Frazer read a letter from Mr. J. B. Maxwell, one 

 of the trustees of Princeton College, to Prof. Henry, dated Belvidere, 

 October 17, 1844, relating to the discovery of Mastodon bones on 

 the farm of Mr. Abraham Ayers, near Hackettstown, New Jersey. 



There are portions of the skeletons of five Mastodons — one pretty 

 large, three of smaller size, and a calf: of the largest, only the 

 grinders, portions of the tusks (13^ inches in circumference), and 

 some fragments of the larger bones remain, the rest having fallen 

 to pieces on being exposed to the air. The bones of the calf fell to 

 pieces in like manner, and no parts have been preserved except the 



