52 Liiuucan Society. 



tween the syenitic hills. The clay invariably occupies the lowest 

 portion, and the gravel generally the highest. No shells were no- 

 ticed, though the water-courses of the rivers cut through the de- 

 posit. 



The modern alluvial accumulations are of great extent, and in 

 some parts of the coast are rapidly increasing. In Outard Bay 

 (100 fathoms deep) the surface of the water was highly charged 

 with earthy matter, which the surveying vessel cut through in her 

 course, and displayed beneath the pure sea water. 



The peat bogs occur towards Cape Whittle, the eastern part of 

 the district examined, and rest upon the syenite. 



During his investigations, the author noticed many evidences of 

 change having taken place in the relative level of land and water. 

 He mentions, that in the Mingan Islands he traced a succession of 

 shingle beaches, the most distant from the shore and covered with 

 trees, being 60 leet above the level of the highest tides. In the Bay 

 of the Seven Islands, and in almost every other bay, and at the en- 

 trance of the valleys near the sea, he observed parallel ridges of 

 sand, sometimes attaining a height of 100 feet, and occasionally 

 containing shells analogous to those now inhabiting the St. Law- 

 rence. This change the author conceives has been produced, not 

 by successive depressions of water, but by successive elevations of 

 land; and he supports his opinion by snowing, 1st, that no per- 

 manent depressions could have taken place in the water of the 

 lliver and Gulf of St. Lawrence, without corresponding ones in the 

 Atlantic; and 2ndiy, that the beach now forming on the Mingan 

 Islands presents the same characters as the beaches which he 

 traced at a distance from the shore; that the water-worn pillars of 

 limestone which accompany each beach, bear evidence of having 

 been worn or scooped out at different periods, the successive action 

 of the water agreeing in level with the successive ridges of limestone 

 shingle ; and he states that the distance between these marks of ac- 

 tion of water on the limestone pillars, exactly agrees with the rise 

 of the present tidal waves of the St. Lawrence. He also proves, by 

 a minute description of the alluvial accumulations now forming on 

 the shore of the main land, and a careful comparison of them with 

 the parallel ridges of sand already mentioned, that an identity of 

 character exists. 



In conclusion, the author briefty refers to the geological structure 

 of the south shore of the St. Lawrence, between the meridian of the 

 Saguenay and Cape Gaspe, and states that it consists of alternating 

 strata of slate and grauwacke, overlaid conformably, at the latter 

 point, by limestone, containing fossils analogous to those of the 

 Mingan Islands and Lake Huron. 



LINN.EAN SOCIETY. 



Nov. 19 and Dec. 3. — A memoir was read, entitled, " On the De- 

 gree of Selection exercised by Plants with regard to the earthy Con- 

 stituents presented to their absorbing Surfaces." By Charles Dau- 

 beny, M.D., F.R.S. L.S., Professor of Chemistry, Oxford. 



The author states, that he was first led into this train of experi- 



