TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 63° 
__would this circumstance induce him to fear, that such discoveries (oceurring probably 
at long intervals of time and for the most part in countries at enormous distances 
from the means of transport) will much more than compensate for the wear and tear 
of the precious metal, and the wants of a rapidly increasing population. ; 
Sir Roderick then briefly alluded to the erroneous opinion of old authors, that the 
origin of gold had any reference to hot or equatorial climates, as testified by the abun- 
dance of ore in Siberia, even up to 67° N. lat., and cited a table of M. Erman, which 
showed, that by far the greatest quantity occurred in northern latitudes, there being 
every probability, that much more of this ore may be detected in the northern pre- 
longation of the American chains and in the frozen regions of Russian America, just 
as it had been discovered in ridges of the north-east of Siberia and even near to Kam- 
schatka, 
He reminded his auditors, that in considering the composition of the chief meri- 
dian ridge of Australia and its parallels, he had foretold that gold would be found 
in them; and he stated that in the last year a resident in Sydney (Mr. Smith), 
who had read what he had written and spoken on this point, had sent him specimens 
of gold ore found in the Blue Mountains, whilst from another source (Mr. Phillips) 
he had learned, that the parallel N. and S. ridge in the Adelaide region, which had 
yielded so much copper, had also given more undoubted signs of gold ore. The 
operation of the English laws of royalty had induced Sir Roderick Murchison to re- 
present to Her Majesty’s Secretary of State, that no colonists would bestir themselves 
in gold mining if some authoritative declaration on the subject were not made, The 
auriferous lines in Australia were marked in the general map. 
In support of his general views, he called for the evidence of Professor William 
Rogers of Philadelphia, whose beautiful map of the Appalachian or Alleghany chain 
was exhibited; and he also fortified his inductions respecting the chief auriferous 
masses of Mexico and Peru by appeals to Colonel Colquhoun and Mr. Pentland, 
all these gentlemen being present. References were also made to an article by M. 
Michel Chevalier in the ‘ Revue des deux Mondes’ (1847), on the silver and gold 
mines of the New World as compared with those of the Old World; also to the work 
onthe mines of Mexico by M. St. Clair Duport, to M. Duflot de Mofras, to Mac- 
apeks ‘Dictionary of Commerce,’ and to Professor Ansted’s ‘Gold Seeker’s 
Manual.’ 
In conclusion, he specially directed attention to the distinctions between the two 
| classes of gold-works, 7. e. in the veinstones and in their debris, and showed, that 
in the present day as in the remotest periods, the simple digging into and washing 
of old alluvial accumulations, have invariably proved to be the great source of pro- 
| duction; whilst in works in the solid rock, on the contrary, the extraction of the gold 
from the silver alloy and other ores with which it is mixed up therein, and its sepa- 
ration from them, have proved so expensive, that to mine for gold as the Spaniards 
_ have done in South America, has frequently proved ruinous even to a proverb *, 
On the Fossil Geology of Cornwall. By Cuartes WitttaMm Pracu. 
; The author commenced by noticing the extensive beds containing fish remains, 
_ which had been discovered since he communicated to the Section at Cork the few 
4 then found; that the beds enclosing these remains extend from near the Rame Head, 
Whitsand Bay, to the west side of Fowey, and that they are in places abundant; 
_ Bellerophontes also are rather plentiful, but each appear to have lived and died in 
BS Bp eerete flocks, rarely being intermixed with each other; a very few Gasteropods 
_ (Lowxonema) are mingled with them. The beds generally rise at high angles, and are) 
_ intermingled with trappean and quartzose beds, the line of strike nearly east and 
a West, with a southerly dip, and appear to have been in places greatly disturbed. 

__ Underlying these beds on the south side are a series of slaty, arenaceous and cal- 
cateous ones, containing Corals, Crinoids, Shells, Orthoceratites, afew Goniatites and 
_ Trilobites, some of these very abundant. These beds are first seen on the east side of 
¥ ind The author expressed his regret at not being as yet acquainted with a geological work on 
_ California by the able American naturalist M. Dana, which had recently been announced. 
