HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY. 497 



tical relations of the Plutonian rocks of Skye, which he refer- 

 red to the porphyry and trap formations. He noticed, besides, 

 the rock of St Kilda and the granite of Arran, both of which 

 exhibit several of the characters of the porphyry series, and may 

 probably, in a geognostical sense, be considered as porphyries 

 rather than granites. The wholesale appropriation to himself 

 of the geology of Scotland (in despite of all the published 

 and unpublished accounts of Scottish, English, and Foreign 

 geologists) by Dr MacCuUoch, was noticed ; and it was re- 

 marked by several members, that a better spirit was now ge- 

 nerally abroad, and that few were disposed to follow in the path 

 of the author of the Geology of the Hebrides.; — The Assistant ■ 

 Secretary read a communication by Edward Hamilton Stirling, 

 Esq. on the Calaite or Mineral Turquois Mines of Nishapur in 

 Persia. 



Professor Jameson in tiie chair. — The Assistant-Secretary read 1836. 

 a letter from M. le Comte de Moligny, dated Besan^on, 8th Sep- ^" 

 tember 1835, giving an account of a tremendous fall of a part of 

 a mountain called the Dent du Midi. It was therein stated that 

 a space. of about two square leagues, extending from the base of 

 the mountain to the Rhone, had thus been covered by debris, in 

 some cases to the depth of ten or twelve feet. 



Professor Jameson, President, in the chair. — A Report from 

 the Joint Prize Committees, dated 26th November 1836, was 

 read, approved of, and sanctioned. It was of the following te- 

 nor : " The Committees were appointed on 9th January last, to 

 examine the communications presented to the Society in con- 

 sequence of their offer of honorary Premiums for the best Geo- 

 logical Report of the Lothians, and best Account of the Fishes 

 of the district of the Forth ; and having considered the recom- 

 mendation of the Council, that the Premiums should be award- 

 ed if the communications were found meritorious, even al- 



VOL. VII. I i 



Dec. 6. 



