﻿142 
  Geological 
  Society. 
  

  

  development 
  will 
  find 
  this 
  volume 
  a 
  rich 
  storehouse 
  of 
  facts 
  

   aud 
  stimulating 
  induction. 
  Some 
  of 
  his 
  facts 
  are 
  curious 
  — 
  as, 
  

   for 
  example, 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  Elasmosaurus, 
  which 
  has 
  a 
  neck 
  of 
  

   enormous 
  length 
  (nearly 
  3 
  times 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  body) 
  and 
  

   containing 
  no 
  less 
  than 
  76 
  vertebrae. 
  This 
  was 
  an 
  adaptation 
  

   enabling 
  the 
  creature 
  to 
  feed, 
  swan 
  fashion, 
  in 
  deep 
  water, 
  occa- 
  

   sionally, 
  no 
  doubt, 
  as 
  the 
  author 
  remarks, 
  the 
  creature, 
  like 
  the 
  

   Swan, 
  secured 
  food 
  from 
  yet 
  deeper 
  water 
  by 
  tilting 
  the 
  body 
  into 
  

   a 
  vertical 
  position, 
  sustaining 
  this 
  position 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  

   paddles. 
  Thus 
  it 
  is 
  inferred 
  they 
  were 
  shallow-water 
  creatures 
  

   living 
  near 
  the 
  shore 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  ; 
  wherein 
  

   they 
  differed 
  from 
  the 
  shorter-necked 
  Pliosaurs 
  and 
  the 
  Ichthyosaurs, 
  

   which 
  were 
  probably 
  pelagic. 
  These 
  short-necked 
  forms, 
  further- 
  

   more, 
  seem 
  to 
  have 
  lived 
  chiefly 
  on 
  cuttle-fish, 
  at 
  any 
  rate 
  the 
  rims 
  

   of 
  the 
  suckers 
  of 
  the 
  arms 
  and 
  dark 
  masses 
  representing 
  ink-bags 
  

   have 
  been 
  found 
  embedded 
  within 
  masses 
  of 
  gizzard-stones 
  lying 
  

   between 
  the 
  ribs 
  of 
  not 
  a 
  few 
  specimens. 
  

  

  But 
  besides 
  these 
  inferences 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  life-history, 
  Dr. 
  Andrews 
  

   has 
  brought 
  to 
  light 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  facts 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  osteology 
  which 
  

   are 
  of 
  the 
  highest 
  importance 
  in 
  themselves, 
  and 
  further, 
  as 
  he 
  has 
  

   shown, 
  they 
  have 
  a 
  no 
  less 
  deep 
  significance 
  when 
  used 
  as 
  indices 
  

   of 
  adaptation 
  to 
  environment, 
  in 
  which 
  connection 
  these 
  new 
  facts 
  

   will 
  prove 
  of 
  the 
  highest 
  value 
  to 
  the 
  selectionist. 
  

  

  We 
  congratulate 
  Dr. 
  Andrews 
  on 
  the 
  completion 
  of 
  his 
  task 
  and 
  

   look 
  forward 
  to 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  promised 
  second 
  part. 
  

  

  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  LEARNED 
  SOCIETIES. 
  

  

  GEOLOGICAL 
  SOCIETY. 
  

  

  November 
  23rd, 
  1910.— 
  Prof. 
  W. 
  W. 
  Watts, 
  Sc.D., 
  M.Sc, 
  F.R.S., 
  

   President, 
  in 
  the 
  Chair. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  communication 
  was 
  read 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  ' 
  The 
  Effects 
  of 
  Secular 
  Oscillation 
  in 
  Egypt 
  during 
  the 
  Eocene 
  

   and 
  Cretaceous 
  Periods.' 
  By 
  William 
  Eraser 
  Hume, 
  D.Sc, 
  E.C.S., 
  

   Director 
  of 
  the 
  Geological 
  Survey 
  of 
  Egypt. 
  

  

  The 
  main 
  points 
  considered 
  in 
  the 
  paper 
  are 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  A 
  (1). 
  — 
  There 
  is 
  evidence 
  of 
  the 
  gradual 
  advance 
  of 
  the 
  Cretaceous 
  

   sea 
  from 
  north 
  or 
  north-east 
  over 
  Egypt 
  during 
  Upper 
  Cretaceous 
  

   times. 
  Eour 
  stages 
  in 
  this 
  advance 
  are 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  geographical 
  

   distribution 
  of 
  the 
  Cretaceous 
  deposits, 
  and 
  especially 
  by 
  the 
  

   relations 
  of 
  the 
  detrital 
  Nubian 
  Sandstone 
  formation 
  to 
  the 
  organic 
  

   Cretaceous 
  limestones. 
  The 
  four 
  phases 
  are 
  : 
  — 
  (a) 
  A 
  North 
  

   Egyptian 
  type, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  Nubian 
  Sandstone 
  entirely 
  

   underlies 
  fossiliferous 
  beds 
  of 
  Cenomanian 
  (Lower 
  Chalk) 
  

  

  