THE CIVIL ENGINEER vlND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



reflect on this career of success, and the activity, perseverance, and disinte- 

 rested efforts of successive councils, — when we see our President using every 

 exertion and losing no opportunity for promoting the efficiency and prosperity 

 of our society by his judicious counsels, by bis animating example and by his 

 munificent hospitality, — may we not with confidence call on our members to 

 press forward and carry out the purposes, for which we are associated, in a 

 manner commensurate with the expectations of the public, consistent with the 

 character of the profession, and corresponding with tlie rank which the 

 Institute holds among the scientific bodies of Europe? 

 COUNCIL, 1839-40. 

 President. — Earl De Grey. 

 Vice-Presidents.— ^Messrs. Basevi, Blorc, and Burton. 

 Hon. Secretaries. — Messrs. Fowler and Poynler. 

 Ordinary Mejibers. — Messrs. Bellamy, Cundy, Cuawner, Ferrey, Mocatta, 

 Salvin, and Sliaw. 

 Hon. Sec. of Foreign Correspondence. — Mr. T. L. Donaldson. 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 



April II. — The Marquis of Norfliainpton, President, in the chair. 

 The following paper was read : — 



On a new Equi -atomic comjwund of Bicyanide with Btnoxide of Merciiri/, 

 l)y James V. W. Johnston, Esq. — lu this paper an account is given of 

 the pruperlies of a salt, obtained by agitating with red oxide of mercury 

 a small portion of hydrocyanic acid, and Tvliicli the author finds to be dis- 

 tinguished from the bycianide of mercury by its sparing solubility in cold 

 water, by the strong alkaline reaction exhibited by its solution (a property 

 wliich indicates an excess of mercui'y), and by its susceptibility of detona- 

 tion by heat, depending on tliis excess being in tlie state of an oxide, and 

 on the action of tlie oxygen on a portion of the carbon of the cyanogen it 

 contains, and the presence of which is showii by tlie disengagement of 

 hydrocyanic acid gas when acted on by liydrosulpliurie and hydrochloric 

 acids. The analysis of this salt, given by the author, shows it to consist of 



Carbon " 0.203 



Nitrogen 6.U'25 



Oxygen 3.098 



Mcrciuy 85.674 



100. 

 The formula of wliich composition is as follows : — 

 Kg. Cy., + Hg. 0., 



April 18.— -J. W. Lubbock, Esq., V.P., in the chair. 



J. T. Graves, Esq., of the Inner Temple, and the Rev. S. R. Waitlaiul, 

 were elected fellows. 



The following paper was read : — 



On the Constitution of the Resins ; Part I., by J. F. W. Johnston, Esq. 

 The object of the general investigation, of which the commencement is 

 given in this paper, is to determine the relative composition of the various 

 resins which occur- in nature, and to trace the analogies they exhibit in their 

 constitution ; and also to ascertain how far they may be regarded as being 

 derived from one common principle, and whether they admit of being all 

 represented by one or more general formula'. The chemical investigation 

 of the resin of mastic shows that this substance consists of two resins ; the 

 one soluble, and acid ; the other insoluble, and having no acid properties. 

 The formula expressing the analysis of each of these are given by the 

 author. He also shows that a series of analyses may be obtained which 

 do not indicate the ti-ue constitution of a resin. The soluble resin, wlicn 

 exposed to the prolonged action of a heat exceeding 300° Fahr., is partly 

 converted into a resin containing three, aiul partly into one containing live 

 equivalent parts of oxygen, the proportion of carbon remaining constant. 

 The same resin combines with bases, so as to form foiu' series of salts; 

 which in the case of oxide of lead, consist of equivalents of resin and of 

 oxide in the proportions, respectively, of two to one ; three to two ; one 

 to one ; and one to two. This soluble resin, in combining with bases, does 

 not part with any of its oxygen ; but if any change takes place in its con- 

 stitution, it consists in the hydrogen being replaced by an equivalent pro- 

 portion of a metal; and formula? are given representmg the salts of lead 

 on this theoretical view. By boiling the resin in contact with ammonia and 

 nitrate of silver, or perhaps with nitrate of ammonia, it is converted into a 

 resin which fonns a bisalt with oxide of silver, in which there is also an 

 apparent replacement of hydrogen by silver. The resin next examined is 

 that of dragon's blood ; and the conclusions deduced from its analysis are 

 the following : — first, that tlic lump dragon's blood is the natural and pure 

 icsin, while the strained and red varieties, being nianufaclured articles, 

 are more or less decomposed ; secondly, that this resin retains alcohol and 

 ether, as most other resins do, with considerable tenacity ; but that these 

 solvents may be entirely expelled by a long-continued exposiue to a 

 temperature not higher than '200o Fahr. ; and lastly, the formula; repre- 

 senting its chemical composition is given. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



April 10— Rev. Dr. Buckland, President, in the chair. 



A paper was read. On us much of the " Transition or Grauwacic Si/stcm' as 

 is e.iposed in the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Comical/," by the Rev. D. 

 Williams, F.G.S. 

 The author commenced by stating, that his views respecting the structure 



[.lUNE, 



of the country had been derived from independent observations; but that 

 while be claimed originality for bim:elf, he did not in the remotest sense im- 

 pugn the originality of the views of other geologists who have examined the 

 same districts. The sedimentary deposits older than the new red system, 

 and constituting the whole of Cornwall, and the greater part of Devon, and 

 the south-west of Somersetshire, are arranged by Mr. Williams, in the transi- 

 tion class, and under the following formation:., commencing with the youngest, 

 9, Floriferous slates and sandstone; 8, Coddon llill grits; 7. Tribolite 

 slates ; 6, WoUacombe sandstone : 5, Morte slates ; 4, Trentishoe slates ; .3, 

 Calcareous slates of Linton ; 2, Foreland and Dunkerry sandstone ; 1 . Can- 

 nington Park limestone. Of these formations, only 9, 8, and 7, were descri- 

 bed in the paper, the other six not occurring in Cornwall or in Devonshire, 

 except in the north-west corner of the county, and are reserved by the author 

 for future consideration. The floriferous slates and sandstone (b), arranged 

 in the true coal measures by Professor Sedgwick and Mr. Murchison, 

 en memoirs read before the British Association in 1836, and the Geological 

 moiety in 1837, Mr. Williams considers to be a grauwacke formation, because 

 he has traced passages into the subjacent deposit (8) ; and he employs the 

 term " floriferous," to avoid the ambiguity which he conceives would arise 

 from using the word carbonaceous; and be objects to the expression culmife- 

 rous, as anthracite constitutes but a very small part of the formation. The 

 deposit occupies a large portion of Devonshire, and detached minor districts 

 of Cornwall. The sandstones, he says, are quite distinct, but that the slates 

 are occasionally undistinguishable from those employed for roofing. The 

 ModdoH Hill grits (8) constitute, on the north, a narrow band from Freming- 

 tou, near Barnstable, to Holcoir.b Rogus ; and in the south a broader districts 

 flanking the floriferous sandstones, from Forrabury, by Launceston, to the 

 granite of Dartmoor. The deposit passes gradually upwards into No. 9, and 

 downwards into No. 7, the intermediate strata being termed by the author 

 neutral beds. The grits winch compose the greater part of the formation are 

 perfectly distinct from any other in the district, and afford most valuable 

 assistance in tracing the range of the deposit: they contain also the wavellite, 

 for which the north of Devonshire has been long distinguished. In the 

 middle of the series are lenticular masses of limestone, associated with beds of 

 black shale — the former containing Goniantites and Posidonia, and the latter 

 plants with flakes of anthracite. The trilobite slates (7) constitute, in the 

 north of Devon, a band ranging from Braunton on the west, nearly to Mil- 

 verton on the east, and on the south, extensive districts around the granite 

 of Dartmoor. He believes that the whole of the slate series of Cornwall 

 belongs to them. In the north and south, they gradually pass upwards into 

 the Coddon grits, and in the north downwards into the Wollacomb sandstones 

 (6), the expression neutral being a'so applied to these passage beds. In some 

 parts, the slates abound with trilobites; and the limestones of Plymouth, 

 Newton Bushell, and Torbay, which belong to the formation, in corals and 

 shells. 



The remainder of the series, from 6 to 1, will be described in a future 

 memoir. 



April '2i Rev. Dr. Buckland, President, in the chair Communications 



were read : — 



1. On llie Climate of the Newer Pliocene Period, by Mr. Smith, o*^ 

 Jordan Hill. 



An examination of the shells contained in the newest tertiary deposits on the 

 shores of the Clyde, has convinced Mr. Smith, that the climate of this part of 

 the globe, during their accumulation, was colder than it is at present. His 

 attention was first called to the subject, by observing that the shells found at 

 Uddevalla, and described by Mr. LycU in bis memoir on the change of level 

 in the Baltic, agreed with some of those most common in the raised shelly beds 

 of the Clyde; and his views respecting the northern aspect of the peculiar or 

 most abundant of the Scottish fossils have been conSrmed by Mr. Gray, Mr. 

 G. Sowerby, and M. Deshayes. 



2. Remarks on some Fossil and recent Shells collected by Capt. Bayfield, 

 R.N., in Canada, by Mr. LvEI.L. 



Several eminent conchologists having observed that in the English crag there 

 are certain shells which indicate a somewhat colder climate than that which 

 now prevails in our latitudes, and it having been supposed that a similar infer- 

 ence may be deduced, but with greater certainty, from shells found in the 

 Newer Pliocene strata of .Scotland and Ireland, Mr. Lyell has been induced 

 to examine, with great care, a collection of shells sent to him by Capt. Bay- 

 field, consisting partly of fossils procured from the most modern tertiary de- 

 posits bordering the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and partly of recent testacea 

 from the Gulf itself. The shells were found principally at Buauport, about 

 two miles below Quebec, in a deposit similar to that now forming in the bed of 

 the St. Lawrence ; and the uppermost stratum, nearly 100 feet above the level 

 of the river, is almost exclusively composed of bivalves. Similar shells occur 

 at a still higher elevation, in the valley of the St. Charles, three miles from 

 Beauport ; and at Port Neuf, forty miles above Quebec, at heights varying 

 from 60 to '200 feet. Numerous boulders of primary rocks are imbedded in 

 the strata at difl'erent levels, and appear as if they bad been dropped there 

 from drifted masses of ice, at widely distant intervals of lime. Though some 

 of the shells are broken, yet many are perfect ; and it is impossible to imagine 

 that the clay, sand, and gravel, composing the strata, could have been forced, 

 together with the boulders and testacea, into their present position by a vio- 

 lent current, as the fragile Terebralula psitl<uea is found with both valves 

 united, and its long, brittle, interior appendages entire. The shells bear 

 a strong resemblance to those found in the newest tertiary deposits at Udde- 

 valla, in Sweden; and some of the most abundant ftt each Iflcality are com- 



