CONTENTS. 



Art. I. On the Temperature of the Frith of Forth, 

 and on the Specific Gravity of its Water. 

 By John Davy, M.D., F.R.S., Lon. and 

 Ed., Inspector- General of Army Hospitals, 

 L.R. Communicated by the Author, Page 1 



II. Contributions towards establishing the Gene- 

 ral Character of the Fossil Plants of the 

 genus Sigillaria. By William King, Esq., 

 Curator of the Museum of the Natural His- 

 tory Society of Northumberland, Durham, 

 and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. With a Plate. 

 Communicated by the Author, . . 4 



III. United States Exploring Expedition, . . 21 



IV. On the occurrence of Fossil Human Bones of 



the prse historical World in South America, .38 

 V. Report on M. Alcide d'Orbigny's Memoir, en- 

 titled General Considerations on the Geo- 

 logy of South America. By M. Elie de 

 Beaumont, ..... 42 

 Gneiss Formation, , . . -42 



. Silurian System, . . . . 43 



Devonian System, . . -45 



Carboniferous System, . . -47 



Triassic System, . .. . -50 



Absence of the Jurassic System, . . 51 



Cretaceous Period, . . . -51 



Tertiary System, . . . • 52 



VI. Fables and Prejudices regarding Serpents. By 



Dr H. SCHLEGEL, . . . .63 



VII. Notices of Earthquake- Shocks felt in Greflt 

 Britain, and especially in Scotland, with 



