Scienlijlc Infelligence — Gcolociy and Geof/raphy. 177 



Vice-Presiden ts. 

 Dr Robert Graham, F.R.S.E. Sir Ch.G.S.Menteith, Bart. F.R.S.E. 



Sir Wm. Newbigging, F.R.S.E. Dr Robert Pateiison. 

 Rt. Hon. Lord Greenock, F.R.S.E. Professor Edward Forbes, 



Council. 

 Robert Stevenson, Esq., F.R.S.E. Sir William Jardine, Bart. F.R.S.E. 

 David Milne, Esq. F.R.S.E. Professor T. S. Traill. 



John Stark, Esq. F.R.S.E. Dr R. K. Greville. 



Thomas Brown, Esq. of Langfine. John Goodsir, Esq. 

 Joint-Secretaries. 

 ]^r PATHirK Xeill, F.R.S.E. T. J. Torrie, Esq. F.R.S.E. 



Treasurer. 

 A. G. Ellis, Esq. 



■Joint-Librarians. 



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Artists. 



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SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 



GEOLOGY AXD GEOGRAPHY. 



I. M. Eliecle Beaumont on the former loiv Temperature of European 

 Winters. — Yv'hen speaking of winters sufficiently cold to admit of 

 large ice-bergs floating in great numbers as far as latitude 50° (see 

 Cliurpentier's Paper, at p. 59. of the present Number), M. E. de 

 Beaumont says : — At first sight, this supposition appears contrary 

 to the hypothesis so generally admitted, that the terrestrial globe 

 was warmer during former geological periods than it is at present, and 

 that it has been subsequently gradually cooled. This apparent op- 

 position ceases, however, when we consider that the temperature of 

 a given portion of the globe during a given time, depends not only 

 on the general temperature of the globe, but also on the manner in 

 which the Isotliermal Lines were disposed, during that same period, 

 under the influence of seas and of mountains whose configuration 

 was quite different from ihe configuration of the seas and mountains 

 of the present day. The globe, during the period which preceded 

 ours, may as a whole have been a little warmer than it now is, and 

 yet central Europe may have had a climate similar to that of Ca- 

 nada, wiiere the phenomenon of the transport of blocks of rock by 

 ice has been observed in latitude 48° or 50°. This supposition of 

 colder winters in Europe, during the geologicjil period preceding our 

 epoch, would, moreover, be in harmony with n any other observations. 

 {Comptrn liendun, vol. xiv. p. 101.) 



vol.. XV.VIV NO. I.XVH. .lAMAltV 1843. M 



