113 



February 19, 1849. 



J. B. YATES, Esq., in the Chair. 



Mr. S. M. South was elected a Member of the Society. 



Mr. Picton then read an Essay on The Changes of Sea 

 Levels on the West Coast of England during the Historic 

 Period, of which the following is an abstract : — 



After some general remarks on the phenomena presented by 

 the stratification of the crust of the earth, giving evidence of 

 the alternations of elevation and depression to which it has 

 been subject, the writer called attention to the enquiry which 

 naturally presents itself, whether or not these operations of 

 nature are still going forward. All analogy would seem to 

 answer in the affirmative. The abrading forces of the elements, 

 the rivers, and the tides are the same as ever. The earthquake 

 and volcano still operate in upheaving and dislocating the 

 strata within their influence. But beyond all these, the writer 

 concluded that other forces were still at work, more impercep- 

 tible and intangible in their character, but producing more 

 important results. The existence and extent of these internal 

 forces could only be determined by observation ; but from the 

 limited range and short period to which our observation is 

 confined, it is a task of no small difficulty to arrive at just 

 conclusions. 



The object of the Paper was to bring before the Society a 

 number of observations, both original and collected, bearing 

 upon the alterations of level over a part of our western shores, 

 and to draw the conclusions which seemed inevitable. The 

 term "historical" was used not in its exact ordinary sense, but 

 ,-is contra-distinguished from "geological." 



