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Remarks on the " Devonian" Si/stem of Rocks. 357 



we believe the observations of Mr. Williams to be also equally 

 original ; for he has recently shown to us a MS. which he 

 sent to the Local Secretaries of the meeting of the British 

 Association for the Advancement of Science, held at Bristol 

 (which arrived a/te>' the memoir by ourselves was read, and 

 on that account was not brought forward), in which he ex- 

 presses his opinion that the contorted carbonaceous rocks 

 upon the coast between North Devon and Cornwall, occupy 

 a trough supported at either extremity on the west coast, by 

 rocks of older age ; the whole, however, belonging to an 

 ancient transition period, and the culm strata being of " far 

 higher antiquity than the carboniferous series proper." And we 

 may further remark, that at that time he had neither separated 

 (as a distinct formation) the black culmiferous limestone from 

 the inferior courses of limestone of North Devon, nor ascer- 

 tained the fact of its re-appearance on the south side of the 

 culm trough and on the northern flank of Dartmoor. From 

 an inspection of the map of Devonshire which Mr. Williams 

 is preparing, and the sections which were exhibited with it at 

 the Geological Society, we are convinced he is an industrious 

 observer ; while the richness of his fossil collections also 

 manifests his diligence and zeal : his collections are, indeed, 

 among the most valuable (in respect to North Devon and 

 Cornwall) which have come under our notice ; and their ex- 

 amination, to which he has cordially invited us, has been a 

 source of much gratification, as it offers a strong confirma- 

 tion of our opinion of the age of the Devonian and Cornish 

 strata. 



There is now, therefore, no longer any strife concerning 

 the structure of this region : a generous rivalry alone exists 

 to bring to the common stock of knowledge all the prools by 

 which the true age of these hitherto anomalous strata can be 

 determined. In fact, the order of superposition of the region 

 is completely settled, for the principal sections of Mr. De 

 la Beche and Mr. Williams are now in accordance with 

 our own, in presenting the same succession of mineral masses; 

 and it only remains that we should enter into a hearty union 

 to determine the precise coordinates of these masses by a 

 thorough examination of their imbedded organic remains. 



We have already stated in the previous notice, and we have 

 sincere pleasure in repeating it, that we owe deep obligations 

 to our friend Mr. Lonsdale for having first suggested to us 

 that the Devon fossils would be found to bo those of the old 

 red system ; a point which he was admirably (jualified to de- 

 termine Irom having compared so closely the fossils (particu- 

 larly the corals) of the Carboniferous and Silurian Systems. 



