212 Proceedings of the Tfernerian Society. 



Sec. — Dr Pat. Neill, F.E.S.E. Assist.-Lib.-R. J.H.CuNNiNGHAM,Esq. 

 Assist.- Sec— T. J. Torrie, Esq. F.R.S.E. Painter.— P. Syme, Esq. 

 Trcas. — A. G. Ellis, Esq. Assist. — W. H. Townsend, Esq. 



Lib, — James Wilson, Esq. F.R.S.E. 



Council. 

 Dr Robert Graham, F.R.S.E. Edward Forbes, Esq. 



Sir Wm. Newbigging, F.E.S.E. Robert Stevenson, Esq. F.R.S.E. 

 David Falcon ar, Esq. David "Milne, Esq. F.R.S.E. 



Dr Robert Paterson. John Stark, Esq. F.R.S.E. 



Two papers were read. The first was an account of the Gold Tract 

 of the Southern Mahratta country, bj' Lieutenant Newbolcl, Aide-de-camp 

 to General Wilson. The author gave an interesting history of the dis- 

 covery of gold in the various localities where it has been obtained in 

 that region ; and communicated geognostical observations on the mode 

 of its occurrence, from which it appears that its position is in veins and 

 disseminated grains in primitive slates, and that it is found most fre- 

 quently near their line of junction with granites or trap-rocks. The other 

 paper was by the Rev. John Toplis, B.D., of South Walsham, Norfolk, 

 and was entitled Remarks on Hydrostatical Pressure, as an occasional 

 cause of Earthquakes (published in the present No. of Journal, p. 84). 



A number of donations, received for the Society during the recess, 

 were then announced, and placed on the table ; in particular, a rich col- 

 lection of Scottish Shells, by the Rev. David Landsborough of Ste- 

 venston. 



November 28. — Dr Traill, V. P., in the Chair. Mr Edward Forbes read 

 the first part of his Remarks on the Classification of the Mollusca, of whicu 

 the following is an abstract : — The author stated that the systematic views 

 at present adopted regarding the mollusca are for the most part empirical 

 and wanting in philosophical precision, and that he now attempted to re- 

 medy confusion by framing an hypothesis of the classification of the mollus- 

 ca from the view of their position in the animal series, and of their rela- 

 tion to the other great classes. Assuming five animal types, of which 

 the Amorphozoa, the Radiata, the Mollusca, the Annulata, and the Ver- 

 tebrata, are the representatives, each of these typical classes is sup- 

 posed to pass through one or more parallels corresponding to those types, 

 and in its passage to exhibit formal and structural analogies with such 

 animals of the other types as may be placed in the same parallel. The 

 parallels are termed tho^e of Amorphism, Radiism, Mollism, Annulism, 

 and Vertebrism. The typical class Mollusca is supposed to pass through 

 four of the parallels, its lowest forms being radiated (as the compound 

 tunicata), its highest vertebrated (as the cephalopoda). It was pio- 

 posed to ascertain the true relations of the classes and orders of the 

 mollusca, by observing their relative position in the passage of the 

 type through the various parallels. It was also maintained that the two 

 spheres, animal and vegetative, are represented throughout the typi- 



