94 Chronicles of Science. [Jan., 
Phenomena of Labrador and Maine. On the Laurentian and 
Huronian rocks of the Labrador Peninsula few superficial deposits 
occur, the region having evidently been exposed to the most intense 
denuding action of glaciers, prolonged over a period much longer 
than even in Canada. The whole of the Plateau has been moulded 
by ice to a height of at least 2,500 feet above the level of the sea ; 
but owing to the extensive weathering of the rocks, glacial grooves 
and scratches occur very rarely below a height of from 500 to 800 
feet from the sea-level, up to which point the action of the waves 
and of shore-ice has obliterated all traces of striae, and also of 
loose drift. It is also important to notice that the present contour 
of the coast, from the sea-level to a height of 500 feet, also extends 
to at least 300 feet below the surface of the water. The whole 
surface of the country is strewn thickly with boulders, especially 
above the height already mentioned. About 400 feet above the 
present coast-line are some fine examples of raised beaches and 
rock-shelves, representing ancient coast-lines ; and there are others, 
apparently of the same origin, at great heights in the interior of 
the southern part of the Peninsula. Some beaches were also ob- 
served by the author, apparently very recently raised above the 
sea-level, so as to be just beyond the reach of the waves ; and he 
therefore infers that the land is slowly gaining on the sea. At 
the mouths of certain rivers, and situated just above high-water 
mark, there occur deposits of clay, known as Leda-clays, containing 
marine and estuarine fossils. The author draws some interesting 
conclusions from these phenomena, and supplements his paper by 
an account of the recent invertebrate fauna of the region. 
In the same volume is a very able paper, entitled “ An Inquiry 
into the Zoological Relations of the first-discovered traces of Fossil 
Neuropterous Insects in North America; with remarks on the dif- 
ference of structure in the Wings of living Neuroptera ;” its title 
is a sufficient index of its scope and character. 
Dr. J. S. Newberry has examined the fossil plants from the 
Chinese coal-bearing rocks, discovered by Mr. Pumpelly, and has 
determined them to be of Mesozoic age. ‘The collection includes 
Cycads of the genera Podozamites and Pterozamites, closely allied 
to known European and American species, if not identical with 
them. There are also representatives of the genera Sphenopteris 
and Hymenophyllites, and a species of Pecopteris, which is doubt- 
fully referred to the well-known P. Whitbiensis. The precise age 
of the beds cannot be determined with certainty ; but they are either 
Jurassic or Triassic. 
The thirteenth volume of the ‘Proceedings of the Somersetshire 
Archeological Society’ contains a valuable paper “ On the Middle 
and Upper Lias of the South-west of England,” by Mr, Charles 
