Geology and Geography. 91^ 



intermittent action of earthquakes and volcanos, but slowly, con- 

 stantly, and insensibly. 



Mr Lyell had visited some parts of the shores of the Bothnian 

 Gulf, between Stockholm and Gefle, and of the western coast of 

 Sweden, between Uddevalla and Gothenburg, districts particularly 

 alluded to by Celsius. He had examined several of the marks cut by 

 the Swedish pilots, under the direction of the Swedish Academy of 

 Sciences in 1820, and found the level of the Baltic in calm weather 

 several inches below the marks. He also found the level of the 

 waters several feet below marks made seventy or a hundred years 

 before. He obtained similar results on the side of the ocean ; and 

 found in both districts that the testimony of the inhabitants agreed 

 exactly with that of their ancestors recorded by Celsius. After 

 confirming the accounts given by Von Buch of the occurrence on 

 the side of the ocean, of elevated beds of recent shells at various 

 heights, from ten to two hundred feet, Mr Lyell added, that he had 

 also discovered deposits on the side of the Bothnian Gulf, between 

 Stockholm and Gefle, containing fossil shells of the same species 

 which now characterize the brackish waters of that sea. These 

 occur at various elevations, from one to a hundred feet, and some- 

 times reach fifty miles inland. The shells are partly marine and 

 partly fluviatile ; the marine species are identical with those now 

 living in the ocean, but are dwarfish in size, and never attain the 

 average dimensions of those which live in waters sufficiently salt to 

 enable them to reach their full development. Mr Lyell concluded 

 by declaring his belief that certain parts of Sweden are undergoing 

 a gradual rise to the amount of two or three feet in a century, 

 while other parts visited by him, farther to the south, appear to 

 experience no movement. 



Lord Greenock, in name of the Highland Society, communicated 

 the desire of that body to give its assistance to geological investi- 

 gations ; and aunoujflced that, from information lately received firom 

 the Treasury, it is now certain that the Geological Map of Scotland 

 will speedily be published. 



Lord Greenock then read a paper on the coal formation of the 

 central district of Scotland, which was illustrated by specimens, 

 sections, and maps. Lord Greenock is inclined to believe that or- 

 ganic remains such as those found in the coal strata at Stoney- 

 hill, near Musselburgh, will be found to become more rare, if 

 they do not entirely disappear, as we descend in the series, and 

 approach the limestone containing marine shells and encrinites, al- 



