142 Proceediags of Philvsoj)hical Societies. {¥t1s. 



On a general view of the north and north-west of New Hol- 

 land, it will be observed that the outline of the coast, in several 

 distant quarters, has a direction nearly uniform, from south-west 

 to north-east ; which is the course also of the remarkable ranges 

 of islands on the north-west of the Gulf of Carpentaria. It 

 appears also that reddish sandstone of ancient date is very abun- 

 dant throughout the north and west coasts ; and it is not altoge- 

 ther improbable that the prevailing direction of the strata may 

 be that above-mentioned. 



So little is known of the remainder of Australia, and espe- 

 cially of the interior, that speculations upon its general structure 

 would be premature ; but the linearity of the coast lines in seve- 

 ral other places is remarkable ; and their course, as well as that 

 of the principal openings, has also a general tendency to a direc- 

 tion from the west of south toward the east of north. The coinci- 

 dence of uniformity of range with marked features of geological 

 constitution, is of such frequent occurrence in other parts of the 

 globe, that these appearances are in the present case deserving 

 of attention ; but they are mentioned by the author, under the 

 existing scantiness of information from Australia, merely as 

 suggesting ground for more extensive inquiry. 



Nov. 18. — A notice was read, respecting the appearance of 

 Fossil Timber on the Norfolk coast; by Richard Taylor, Esq., 

 of Norwich. 



In consequence of an extraordinary high tide which visited 

 the coast of Norfolk on the 5th of February last, large portions 

 of the cliffs, sometimes exceeding 200 feet in height, were pre- 

 cipitated into the sea, and an opportunity was afforded of 

 examining the site of a stratum containing a number of fossil 

 trees, exposed on the east and west side of the town of Cromer. 

 In this singular stratum, composed of laminse of clay, sand, and 

 vegetable matter, and about tour feet in thickness, the trunks 

 were found standing as thickly as is usual in woods, the stumps 

 being firmly rooted in what appears the soil in which they grew. 

 They are invariably broken off about a foot and a half from the 

 base. The stem and branches lie scattered horizontally ; and 

 amongst them are thin layers of decomposed leaves, but no 

 fruits or seed-vessels. The species of timber appear to be 

 chiefly of the Pine tribe, with occasional specimens of elm and 

 oak : they are flattened by the pressure of the overlying alluvial 

 strata. Mr. Taylor has not observed any animal remains in the 

 stratum, except a skull of one of the Deer tribe ; but he supposes 

 that the bones of Elephants and other herbivorous animals, found 

 near this site, may have been washed out of the same bed. 



An extract of a letter from the Right Hon. Earl Compton,FGS. 

 to the President, was read, On the Discovery of Granite 

 with Greeu Felspar found iu Excavations at Tivoli. In excava- 



