47 
lence of stormy weather peculiar to the Equinoxes. For his 
part, his opinion, from considerable observation continued 
over some length of time, was that no such thing existed. 
In fact, he was under the impression, that the same was the 
conclusion which scientific observers had come to, from care- 
ful and protracted observation and comparison of records. 
In short, that the facts were, that there was no prevalent 
storm confined or peculiar to the Vernal or Autumnal 
Equinox. 
Pror. Morris replied that he had come to a like conclusion, 
from his observations carried on through a considerable num- 
ber of years. Therefore it must be considered as pretty well 
settled, that the ‘‘Equinoctial storm” had no existence sepa- 
rate and distinct. 
The following paper was read. 
On some Facts connected with the Occurrence of Deposits of Fresh 
_ Water Diatomacee commonly known as Infusorial Earths. 
By Pror. A. M. Epwarps. 
These deposits are of great interest to the geologist, as well 
as to the biologist, and occur largely disseminated all over the 
_ world. They can, however, be very properly divided into 
two classes, and it is for the purpose of pointing out some 
points m which these two classes vary, the one from the 
other, and, at the same time, to call the attention of scientists 
to the importance of devoting more time to their study, that 
I publish this short paper. For several years I have been 
engaged in employing the microscope, for the purpose of 
studying our native and certain foreign ‘“ Infusorial earths,” 
as they are commonly termed. These earths, or as they 
sometimes appear as rocks, are either of marine origin, con- 
sisting almost entirely of the siliceous remains of Diatomacez, 
minute aquatic organisms which Biologists are now in the 
habit of considering as belonging to the vegetable kingdom, 
intermixed with a smaller number of the skeletons, also sili- 
