}98 Proceedings of the Wernerian Society. 



are intersected in their horizontal bearing and underlie, by 

 lodes which yield given ores in the greatest abundance.* 



Froceedings of the Wernerian Natural History Society, — Con- 

 tinued from vol. xxiv. p. 428. 



March 24 — Dr Charles Anderson, V. P. in the Chair. — Dr 

 William Macdonald read a paper on the Analogy between the Lo- 

 comotive Organs in Fishes and Insects, illustrating the theory of 

 unity of organization throughout the animal kingdom, with de- 

 Hioiistrations from specimens, accompanied by drawings and dia- 

 grams. Dr R. Hamilton exhibited additional drawings, by Mr 

 Stewart, of the various species of the seal tribe, and made obser- 

 Tations on the subject. Professor Jameson exhibited an extensive 

 collection of Fossil Fishes found in the limestone of Burdiehouse, 

 Belonging to R. J. Hay Cunninghame, Esq., and Mr Cunninghame 

 expressed his dissent from some of the opinions maintained by Dr 

 Hibbert regarding these remains. 



* The following is the report of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society on 

 the above interesting experiment of Mr Fox : — 



** Of objects of speculative and experimental science, your Committee have 

 to notice a communication from Mr R. W. Fox, which, if his views be esta- 

 ftUshed, involves the most important conclusions. We refer to the speci- 

 IBCDS of clay, exhibited by that gentleman, which, after having been submit- 

 ted, in a moistened state, to weak voltaic action for some months, were found, 

 T»ben dry, to be distinctly laminated, having precisely the appearance of 

 elay-slate. It is well known that this laminated structure is common to 

 33Qaiiy rocks, which are proved, by the organic remains which they contain, 

 to be of sedimentary origin. It is also known that the direction of the lami- 

 Bae or cleavage, with respect to the stratification of any given rock, differs 

 exceedingly in different places, these being at various angles with regard to 

 each other. Hence it follows, that this remarkable structure cannot be re- 

 feired to slow deposition, or to any mechanical causes. Neither does such 

 ctaaaplete independence of the stratification and cleavage of rocks in reference 

 to each other, seem to accord with the definite character and tendency of the 

 |A«iomena of crystallization, to say nothing of the chemical objection to me- 

 cbanical matter assuming a crystalline form, without undergoing fusion or 

 aAjtion. Mr Fox's discovery that electricity is capable of producing this 

 »tnicture in clay, seems, in his opinion, to meet the difficulties of the ques- 

 tioa; and he considers the prevailing directions of the electrical forces, de- 

 peading often on local causes, to have determined that of the cleavage, and 

 the more or less heterogeneous nature of the roc!:, to have modified the ex- 

 tent of their influence.'' — Fifth Annual Report of the Royal Cornwall Polytech- 

 MtSocieti'j^yi. 20, 21. 



