456 Geological Society. 



in the district examined by Mr. Bowman, and working gradually 

 Avcstward. The details do not admit of a brief abstract. In com- 

 paring the Silurian formations of North Wales with those of Shrop- 

 shire, &c., IVIr. Sharpe calls attention to the prevalence of slaty 

 cleavage in the former, to the greater thickness of the Welsh forma- 

 tions, and to the scarcity of organic remains in North Wales in beds 

 which elsewhere are crowded with fossils. He concludes by some 

 observations on slaty cleavage. 



A Note, by the Curator, on the fossil species of Criseis, discovered 

 by Prof. Sedgwick and Prof. Ansted, was also read at this meeting. 



March 20. — The following papers were read : — 



1. " Report on the Collection of Fossils from Malta and Gozo, 

 presented by Lieut. Spratt, R.N." By the Curator. 



From an examination and comparison of the fossils, it would ap- 

 pear that the Maltese Islands are formed of tertiary strata of the 

 Miocene period, from which there are between eighty and ninety 

 species of organic remains in the Society's collection. 



2. " On the Origin of the Gypseous and Saliferous Marls of the 

 New Red Sandstone." By the Rev. David Williams. 



The author gives an account of a section through the west end of 

 Worle Hill, near Weston-super-Mare, which he considers throws 

 important light on the origin of the marls in question. He classes 

 them among formations of volcanic oi'igin. 



3. Extract of a Letter addressed to the Rev. Dr. Buckland, by Mr. 

 W. C. Trevelyan, " On some remarkable Fractured Pebbles from 

 Auchmithie, near Arbroath." 



These pebbles are found in the old red conglomerate, and consist 

 of granite, porphyry, gneiss, jasper and reddish quartz. They are 

 fractured and contorted in a remarkable manner, and present appear- 

 ances of softenings, and of adhesions subsequent to the fracturing. 



April 3. — The following papers were read : — 



1. " On the Traces of the Action of Glaciers at Forth Treiddyn, 

 in Caernanonshire." By Mr. R. W. Byres. 



The author notices a number of evidences of glacial action, in- 

 stances of rounded, polished, furrowed and striated rocks in the 

 neighbourhood of Tremadoc, similar to those observed in several lo- 

 calities around Snowdon by the Rev. Dr. Buckland. 



2. " On the occurrence of Fossils in the Boulder Clay." By Mr, 

 R. Harkness. 



Fossils are rare in the boulder clay, and are only found in the 

 thicker parts of it. Such portions the author considers as having 

 been deposited in a deep sea, the kjwer parts of Avhich had a tem- 

 perature sufficiently warm for the support of organized beings. In 

 the thicker beds the boulders are rounded and polished. Such parts 

 of the clay as are free from fossils, and contain angular boulders, 

 Mr. Harkness considers to indicate the former existence of a shallow 

 sea, with a temperature so cold as to prevent the existence of animal 

 life. Fossiliferous localities occur in the boulder clay of the south- 

 western parts of Lancashire, where the marl abounds with remains 

 of shells, mostly in a fragmentary state. 



