PROVISIONAL REPORTS, AND NOTICES. 443 
Channel entering the Forth before the northern tide-wave, 
coming round by the Shetland Islands, and afterwards ex- 
aggerated,—first, by the dislocation of the wave, and next, by 
the narrowing of the channel; and the velocities of these re- 
spective waves appeared to be just what was necessary to this 
effect. He had also found a similar appearance in the tide- 
wave of the river Tay, which he attributed to the same cause. 
These phenomena appeared to throw considerable light on the 
mechanical constitution of tidal waves. It appeared that, 
like the great wave of Translation, tidal waves could not only 
meet and cover each other without losing their individuality, but 
that they could also pass over each other when going in the 
same direction. 
That part of the duties of the Committee which related to 
the connexion of the phenomena of waves with the resistance 
of fluids to solids, had been devolved upon them under a sepa- 
rate name, as the Committee on Forms of Vessels, and would be 
reported by them under a separate head. The wave-form of 
vessels, however, had been now proved to possess so many ad- 
vantages, that its use seemed likely to become general, and 
thus a great change would be effected in the naval architec- 
ture. 
GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY. 
Proressor JoHNstTon presented to this Section a portion of 
his Report on Inerganic Chemistry, relating to the nature and 
origin of Coal. 
On the subject of the application to the Trustees of the British 
Museum, for enlarged exhibitions in illustration of Recent 
and Fossil Conchology*, the Marquis of Northampton re- 
ported,— 
That the Trustees of the British Museum had resolved, that a 
commencement of such an arrangement should be made, and that 
the duplicates of their fossil shells and other Invertebrata, should 
be handed over to Mr. Gray, for the purpose of being arranged 
with their recent analogous species and genera, where there are 
any such. 
On British Fossil Reptiles. By Professor Owen, F.R.S. 
Pror. Owen reported,—That in order to complete his mate- 
rials for the continuation of his Report on British Fossil Rep- 
* Report for 1839, p. xxiii. 
