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At Symond’s Yat Mr E. Wethered gave an address on 
the Geology of the neighbourhood. He said we were standing 
upon the Carboniferous Limestone, and wherever it occurs in 
river districts, as Clifton, parts of Derbyshire, and elsewhere, 
it forms magnificent cliffs like those before us. 
As to the origin of the limestone, each bed was formed 
underneath the sea, in which lived countless multitudes of 
organisms, with shells or skeletons of carbonate of lime, and 
their remains formed beds of limestone. In some beds he had 
found a remarkable organism named Mitcheldeania, which had 
puzzled him much, as it did not seem to belong to any other 
known form. At present it was classed with the Hydrocoralline, 
a name suggested by Professor Moseley for two groups of 
marine hydrozoa which produce a regular skeleton of carbonate 
of lime, and which were formerly referred to the true corals, 
the Actinozoa. The basement beds of the limestone resting on 
shales were mainly made up of foraminifera. Another re- 
markable feature in the Carboniferous limestone of the Forest 
of Dean he discovered in an examination made some years 
since. It was found to contain only 54 per cent. of carbonate 
of lime and 37°11 of carbonate of magnesia, while the usual 
proportion would be 85 per cent. of the former and less than 1 
_ per cent. of the latter. This proved that the limestone had 
undergone chemical changes, and had been converted into and 
_ had become dolomotized, entirely altering the original character 
_ of the rocks. 
Briefly alluding to the formation of the Wye gorge, which 
he attributed to several agencies, he referred to the Bone 
Caves which had been found at the Doward and other places. 
_ After a few remarks on Mr Wethered’s address by the Rev. 
_H. H. Winwood and Mr F. D. Longe, the members returned 
toa secluded spot, where the Misses Machen had provided a 
_ most acceptable tea, with refreshments. 
The President thanked Mr Machen and his daughters for 
_ their kind hospitality. 
. In replying, Mr Machen wished to avail of the opportunity 
of Berrescing his desire to protect the woods, and also the rare 
B 
