390 Geological Society. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



This society held its first meeting of the present Session 

 on Friday, Nov. 6, 1812. — The President in the Chair. 



Sundry presents of books and specimens were reported. 



A second letter from Ed. L. Irton, Esq. in answer to 

 some queries by the President, relative to the sand tubes 

 found at Drigg in Cumberland, was read, and thanks were 

 Voted for the same. 



From this it appears that the tubes have hitherto been 

 found only in a single hill of drift sand on the sea shore, 

 of the extent of about five acres. The entire form of the 

 tubes is not known, for they are discovered in consequence 

 of being laid bare by the drifting of the sand ; and the 

 same cause almost always breaks oft' and injures their upper 

 extremity. The manner in v^hich they terminate below is 

 still less known ; one of the tubes was exposed by hazardous 

 digging in running sand, to the depth of about .fifteen feet, 

 without the least appearance of its being about to terminate. 

 They lie parallel to each other, and nearly vertical, but at 

 unequal distances ; the numl)er must be very considerable, 

 Mr. [rton having himself taken away, at different times, 

 not less than a hundred. The tubes, when first dug out, 

 are very flexible, but exposure to the air for a few seconds 

 deprives them of this quality. The unctuosity of the in- 

 ternal glazing of these tubes, when recently dug up, stated 

 by Mr. Irton in his first letter, on the authority of an- 

 other person, appears on more accurate examination to be 

 a mistake. 



A conuTiunication from George Cumberland, Esq. re« 

 laiive to some limestone strata in the neighbourhood of 

 Bristol, was read, and thanks were voted for the same. 



The strata here described compose the rocks opposite to 

 the Hotwell walks, and are further illustrated by two 

 drawings J the one of the external face of the rocks, the 

 other of a large cavern recently discovered. In clearing 

 the ground for the erection of houses opposite the old York 

 hotel, on Clifton downs, some interesting varieties of sul- 

 phate of strontian were met with ; but the place being now 

 covered with building and garden-grounds, there is little 

 likelihood of its being soon again opened to the restarchee 

 of the mineralogist. 



A communication, accompanied by three drawinjis in 

 illustration from Dr. Mac Culloch, Mem. G. S. relative 

 to a remarkable interrupted vein in limestone, was read, 

 and thanks were voted for the same. This vein occurs 

 in a millstone which was shipped from Limerick, and is 



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