578 Geological Society'. Anniversary Address^ 184:2. 



This young naturalist, already known by his works on Conchology, 

 is about to give us, in fifty or sixty plates with descriptions, an 

 account of all the fossils of Belgium, from the Lower Silurian to 

 the coal-fields inclusive, Avhether published or not. This work, of 

 which the first Numbers have appeared, will doubtless be of great 

 assistance in completing the classification of the palaeozoic rocks of 

 Belgium, the lithological and mineral characters and lines of demar- 

 cation among which had been so faithfully and clearly described by 

 Mous. d'Omalius d'Halloy, and Professor Dumont. 



OTHER FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



From France and Belgium I shall, in the sequel, direct your atten- • 

 tion to certain works which have appeared in relation to the Alps, 

 where the glacial theory more particularly is at present the great 

 subject of debate. I would now carry your attention to the southern 

 parts of Germany and to Italy, but with the exception of an able 

 memoir by Professor Sismonda of Turin, * Osservazioni Geologiche 

 suUe Alpi marittime,' &c., and a Monograph of the fossil Murex by 

 Michelotti, I have not been able to make myself acquainted with the 

 recent literature of our science in those tracts, though I have no 

 doubt that they have been illustrated by good workmen, of whose 

 labours I may be enabled to speak at our next Anniversary. On 

 that occasion, I will further endeavour to take a view of the last 

 advances which geology has made in the other quarters of the 

 globe, whether in the numerous British Colonies, or in the United 

 States, or in those parts of Asia and Africa which have been re- 

 cently explored. 



In respect to American geology, I have, however, to notice two 

 short communications to ourselves by Mr. Henwood ; the first on 

 the beds near Lockport and at Rochester, in which he sustains, by 

 aid of a series of organic remains presented to the Society, the views 

 respecting those strata entertained by American geologists ; and the 

 second on parts of New Brunswick, particularly the coal-measures 

 which extend over a wide area, and rest in some places upon granite 

 and in others upon schistose rocks ; and he shows that though gra- 

 nite veins penetrate the slate, not one is to be found in the coal- 

 measures : hence he infers, that the schists are the oldest rocks of 

 the country, and the coal-measures the newest. 



THE GLACIAL THEORY. 



The last subject I will advert to is that of glacial action, which 

 has recently occupied the thoughts of many geologists. From a 

 study of the Alps, where Venetz and Charpentier led the way in 

 showing that a connexion* existed between the erratic blocks and 

 the advance of glaciers, Professor Agassiz has deduced a glacial 

 theory, and has endeavoured to generalize and apply it even to our 

 own countries, in which effort he has been supported by my prede- 

 cessor in the Chair. In the following observations, I will endeavour 

 to point out what new materials have been brought forward, abroad 

 and at home, to enable us to reason correctly on this difficult ques- 

 tion, and I will then suggest some essential modifications of the new 

 hypothesis. 



