PROCEEDINGS OF THE SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES OF LONDON. 129 



2. Geological Society, .(Somerset House). 

 Mveinher 9th, 1864. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. " Notes on the Geology of Jamaica ; with Descriptions of New 

 Species of Cretaceous, Eocene, and Miocene Corals." By P. Martin 

 Duncan, M.B., Sec. G.S., and G. P. Wall, Esq., P.G.S. The authors 

 first referred to the Miocene age of the Corals that have hitherto 

 been described from the "West Indies, and then stated that in this 

 paper conclusive evidence was brought forward, for the first time, 

 of the existence of an Eocene formation in Jamaica. They next 

 noticed successively the lithological characters of the different 

 members of the Jamaican fossiliferous rocks, and then described two 

 new species of Corals from the Lower Cretaceous beds, and six from 

 the Miocene, besides giving notices of additional known forms from 

 all the strata. The conclusion was drawn, that the facies of these 

 Cretaceous Corals was suggestive of a close alliance having existed 

 between this fauna and that of Gosau in the Eastern Alps. The 

 question of the existence of Lower Cretaceous strata in other West 

 Indian islands having been discussed, attention was drawn to the 

 character of the Eocene Corals, as being confirmatory of Mr. Barrett's 

 views on the existence of that formation in the island, and the paper 

 was concluded by some additional remarks on the Miocene beds, and 

 their probable correlation with those of Trinidad, Antigua, &c. 



2. " On the Correlation of the Irish Cretaceous Strata." By 

 Ealph Tate, Esq., E.G.S. The non-existence in Ireland of the forma- 

 tions between the Lower Lias and the Upper Greensand having been 

 stated, Mr. Tate first showed that the Cretaceous formations occurring 

 near Belfast are referable to the so-called Upper Greensand 

 (Hibernian Greensand of the author), and to the Upper Chalk, the 

 latter consisting chiefly of a "White Limestone" with flints, and 

 containing species known to occur in the Upper Chalk of Norwich 

 and Meudon, with others allied to Maestricht forms. The basement- 

 beds forming lithologically a passage to the Hibernian Greensand, 

 are (1) chloritic limestone with Sponge-remains belonging to about 

 thirty species, and (2) a calcareo-chloritic sandstone with three species 

 of Echinoderms, the dormant from being Ananchytes gihha. These 

 passage-beds are only locally developed, and when they are absent 

 the junction of the Greensand and the White Limestone is very 

 abrupt. The Hibernian Greensand was considered by Mr. Tate to 



N.H.R.— 1865. K 



