122 Annals of the Philosophical Club 



A letter from Sir J. Richardson, read at the 5gth meeting 

 (Oct. 27th), stated that he had been informed by Lieut. 

 Cresswell that on Baring Island, 1 trunks of pines, 

 that must be drift-wood, occur frequently in a gravel or 

 mud which forms a mound of considerable size at least 

 200 feet above the present sea-level. All over the Arctic 

 Islands shells are found belonging to species still living 

 in the seas, thus indicating a rise of land to that extent in 

 times, geologically speaking, very recent. 2 Lieut. Cresswell 

 had also mentioned that, in the same region, considerable 

 quantities of silicified wood were embedded in a limestone. 3 



Sir C. Lyell mentioned that Dr. Lea, of Philadelphia (who 

 was present as a guest), had been the first to discover a bone 

 of a saurian (of which a jaw had been found since he left 

 that city) in a rock wherein only footprints had previously 

 been observed. It was not yet certain whether the formation 

 was Triassic or somewhat later, but this probably was the 

 oldest remnant of a large reptile which, as yet, had been 

 discovered. 4 



Colonel Sabine showed the Club a bottle made of green 

 glass, which was egg-shaped, the neck having been broken 

 off. It was one of several found on the coast of Siberia 

 rather east of Nova Zembla, where two great currents meet. 

 One of them had been closed by a stopper. Both the 

 Russian government and our own had endeavoured, but 

 without success, to ascertain where these bottles were made. 

 They were not in use in the country where they had been 

 found, and none like them had been supplied to Sir J. 

 Franklin or other Arctic travellers. 



Sir R. Murchison said that General Haug was planning 

 an expedition to explore the north-eastern part of Australia 

 in the hope of discovering a passage by the Victoria and 

 Albert Rivers to the Gulf of Carpentaria. 



1 Now called Baring Land, the southern part of Banks Land, about 

 lat. 7i-72. 



2 For other instances see Manual for the Arctic Expedition, 1875, pages 

 53 8 -54- 



* See same Manual, page 538. 



4 Perhaps it was that afterwards named Clepsysaurus and from the Trias. 



