Geology and Geography. 393 



substances are found in tlie naphtha of Rangoon ; the petroline found 

 by Dr Christison in that substance, being the substance afterwards 

 named Paraffin by Reichenbach. After a short discussion regard- 

 ing the products of the distillation of caoutchouc, the meeting ad- 

 journed to Thursday 11th, at 11 a.m. 



Section C. — Geology and Geography. 



Professor Jameson in the Chair. 



Mr George Rennie communicated observations on the principle 

 of construction, and the practical employment, of an instrument for 

 taking up water at great depths. It was tried by Mr Rennie at 

 the estuary of the Tamer, near Plymouth, and found to succeed 

 completely. 



An interim report by Mr Stevenson, " On the State of our 

 knowledge respecting the relative level of Land and Sea, and the 

 waste and extension of Land on the east coast of England," illus- 

 trated by charts and sections of the German Ocean, was read to the 

 meeting. Remarks were made by Professor Phillips, and a dis- 

 cussion ensued, in which Mr W. Smith related the results of his 

 personal investigations on this subject. 



Mr Greenough remarked, that the question proposed by the As- 

 sociation to Mr Stevenson, related to changes in the relative level 

 of land and sea on the British coasts ; whereas the memoir of that 

 gentleman, which they had just heard, was confined to a description 

 of alterations of the coast due to the gain of land by new deposits, 

 or losses referable to the encroachments of the sea. Mr G then 

 observed that, with reference to alterations in relative level, Mr 

 Lyell would probably be able to communicate some interesting in- 

 formation to the Section, as he had just returned from a tour in 

 Sweden, purposely undertaken with a view to investigating that 

 point. 



Mr Lyell stated that he was most willing to answer to this call, 

 though it would be impossible for him to give in detail all the proofs 

 of a change of level which he had observed. It was his intention 

 soon to read a paper on this subject to the Royal Society of London, 

 but he had no objection to give orally an outline of the principal 

 results at which he had arrived. It would be necessary to preface 

 his statement with a brief sketch of the state of the controversy 

 touching the gradual rise of Scandinavia, at the time of his visiting 

 that country. It was more than 100 years since the Swedish na- 



