Geological Society. 207 



P. argenteo-niveti, fuscescente adumbvata, alarum superiovum 

 strigis apicalibus angulatis, punctulis duabus interraediis, lineisque 

 baseos tribiis subcommunibus fuscescentibus : alarum inferiorum 

 plaga postica argenteo-iridescente, atro-maculata : abdomine fusco 

 fasciato. 



Subjoined to the paper is an Addition to the natural history of 

 Xylocopa Teredo, and several insects which had been the subjects of 

 former communications, accompanied by additional drawings to com- 

 plete the description and figures given in Linn. Trans, vol. xv. 



A paper was also read On the Functions of the Leaves of Plants. 

 By J. H. Dallas, M.D. F.L.S. 



The author states that it is his object to point out the physiological 

 relations of leaves, from which the conclusion is drawn, that they are 

 the digestive organs of plants. — From the air plant of China and some 

 others, he infers that the leaves are not merely respiratory organs^ but 

 organs of nutrition. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Jan. 15. — William Parker, Esq. of Albany-street, Regent's Park ; 

 and the Rev. H. P. Hamilton, of Trinity College, Cambridge^ were 

 elected P'ellows of this Society. 



A paper was read, entitled " On the Fossil Fox of OEningen, with 

 an account of the Lacustrine Deposit in which it was found," by 

 R. I. Murchison, Esq. Sec. G.S. F.R.S. &c. 



The author visiting OEningen in J828, acquired among other 

 organic remains a perfect skeleton of a carnivorous quadruped, 

 imbedded in a layer of slaty limestone, and the specific character 

 of which has since been ascertained through the scientific labours of 

 Mr. Mantell. 



A short account is given of the works of the various authors 

 who have described the fossils of CEningen, from the time of 

 Scheuchzer to that of Karg. Cuvier, however, is mentioned as the 

 first who gave true specific characters to the vertebrated animals of 

 this formation, and who ascertained that all the mammalia hitherto 

 discovered in it were " Rodentia." 



The author differing in opinion from an eminent French geolo- 

 gist, who has described this deposit as subordinate to the molasse, 

 proceeds to show that the formation is exclusively lacustrine; and 

 in proof of this, he offers, 1st, a description of the deposit, and its 

 relations to the surrounding country ; and 2ndly, a sketch of the 

 organic remains. 



CEningen is situated about midway between Constance and 

 Schafhausen, on the right bank of the Rhine, where that river tra- 

 verses the tertiary marine formation of molasse. This formation is 

 here covered by patches of marl and limestone, which extend 

 over the space of two or three miles, and are now well exposed in 

 several quarries, the lowest of which is two hundred, and the highest 

 six liundred feet above the Rhine, and in all of them are found or- 

 ganic remains, exclusively freshwater and terrestrial. The lower, 

 orWangcn quarries, consist of light-coloured, sandy marlstones, di- 

 vided 



