MANCHESTER y 
iterary and Philosophical Society, April 1.—R. Angus 
Smith, Ph.D., F,R.S., vice-president, in the chair. ‘* Note on 
n Observation of a small black spot on the sun’s disc,” by 
Joseph Sidebotham, F.R.A.S. On Monday, March 12, 1849, our 
late member Mr. G. C. Lowe and I saw a small circular black 
pot cross a portion of the sun’s disc. We were trying the 
mounting and adjustments of a 7in. reflector we had been 
ing, and used an ink box between the eye-piece and the 
plane speculum. At first we thought this small black spot 
‘was upon the eye-piece, but soon found it was on the sun’s 
disc, and we watched its progress across the disc for nearly 
half-an-hour. The only note in my diary is the fact of the spot 
ing seen—no time is mentioned, but if I remember rightly, it 
yas about four o'clock in the afternoon.—Mr. Baxendell said 
in a letter which Mr. Sidebotham had received from Prof. 
Hamilton L. Smith, of Hobart College, Geneva, New York, the 
writer suggests the use of iron or bell metal specula, coated 
with nickel, for reflecting telescopes. He says, “‘I ground 
and prepared a bell metal speculum, which I coated with nickel, 
nd this, when polished, proved to be more reflective (at least 
I thought so) than speculum metal. The two objects which I 
sought were—first to have a polished surface unattackable by 
sulphuretted hydrogen (this, for example, is not injured by 
pane with lucifer matches), and secondly, for large specula, 
doing most of the work by the turning-tool and lathe. I really 
think a large, say 3 ft. mirror, coated with nickel, but cast of 
iron, and finished mostly in the lathe, while it would not cost the 
tenth of a similar sized speculum metal, would be almost equal 
0 silvered glass of the same size, and vastly more enduring as 
to polish.—Prof. Williamson, F.R.S., referring to Mr. Binney’s 
remarks at the meeting of March 4, said:—Mr. Binney, after 
pointing out that I had identified a certain type of stem-structure 
with Asterophyllites, and that Prof. Renault had discovered the 
‘same structure in Sphenophyllum, Mr. Binney proceeds to say, 
**T am not in possession of the facts from which the two learned 
professors came to such different conclusions, but | am inclined 
_ to consider the singular little stem as belonging to a new genus 
until the leaves of Sphenophyllum or Asterophyllites are found 
_ attached toit. When this comes to pass of course theré can be 
no doubt of the matter.” I have italicised the two important 
points in the preceding quotation. In the first place I cannot 
understand how Mr. Binney has overlooked my statement, made 
primarily in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, and repeated 
in the last number of the Proceedings of your meeting of 
February 4, that I /adgot a number of exquisite examples, showing 
not only the nodes but vertictls of the linear leaves so charac- 
teristic of the plant.” These leaves I have obtained attached to 
the stems in question in at least a dozen examples. Secondly, 
Mr. Binney considers that my conclusions and those of my 
friend Prof. Renault are diferent, whereas they mutually sustain 
each other in the strongest possible manner. E, W, Binney, 
F.R.S., said that after haying heard Prof. Williamson’s remarks 
his opinion expressed at the meeting of the Society on March 4 
last was not altered. 
GLASGOW 
Geological Society, March 27.—Mr. James Thompson, 
F.G.S., vice-president, in the chair.—Mr. David Robertson, 
F.G.S., read some further notes on the post-tertiary fossiliferous 
beds of the West of Scotland. He first alluded to the brick- 
clays at Jordanhill, about a mile to the north-west of Partrick, 
and 145 ft. above the present sea-level. The clay here is wrought 
to a depth of from 12 to 20ft., in some places rather more. 
One point of interest in examining the clays of this locality is 
the position in which the shells of the common mussel (AZyéz/us 
1 edulis) are found. This mollusc is commonly thought to have 
_ its zone or position near the surface, and to lie above the post- 
 pliocene Arctic shells in the clays of the Clyde district. This 
ne doubt is frequently the case, but it also occurs at greater 
_ depths, and overlaid by Arctic shells. Here it is found at a 
depth of 14 ft., while at'a little distance in the same field Arctic 
shells occur within 6 ft. of the surface. Another feature of in- 
terest in the clays of this neighbourhood is the presence of por- 
tions of oak trees, some of considerable magnitude. Such 
pieces of oak, it is well known, are abundant in the peat of 
every district, but he was not aware of their having been pre- 
viously found associated with Arctic shells in the clays of any 
of the country.-Mr, Robertson then described the cuttings 
of the Maryhill Gasworks and Stobcross Railway, giving par- 
475 
ticulars of the beds exposed, especially in the latter, where inte- 
resting sections of boulder clay, gravel, sand, and laminated clay 
have been laid open during the excavations now in progress. 
The animal remains are sufficient to show the truly marine 
character of the deposit—Mr. John Young read a paper on the 
probable derivation of certain boulders found in the till near 
Glasgow. He said the great majority of the boulders in the till of 
the Glasgow district had evidently been derived from tracts that 
lay tothe west and north-west of the city. At the same time 
it was interesting to note that the ice which had travelled over 
the district had not proceeded exclusively from western or north- 
western sources, as the glaciated surface lately discovered at 
Possil clearly proved. There the rock is striated both from a 
north-west and a north-east direction; and he showed that the 
mineral constituents of the till quite corresponded with and 
confirmed these variations observable in the strice. 
MONTREAL 
Natural History Society, Jan. 27.—During the past sum- 
mer Mr. J. Richardson, of the Geological Survey of Canada, 
has made unusually large collections of the fossils, minerals, and 
other objects of interest from Vancouver and Queen Charlotte. 
Mr, A. R. C. Selwyn said that these collections establish con- 
clusively the fact that the coal fields of the two islands belong 
to the same geological horizon. [n each case the coal fields are 
of the same age as the chalk formation of Europe and elsewhere. 
Further, the coal of Queen Charlotte Island is found to be a 
true anthracite, and it is the first instance on record of the occur- 
rence of anthracite in formations, as newas the chalk. The coal 
seams of Vancouver rest directly upon crystalline rocks, in which 
limestones predominate, Mr. Richardson estimates the Comox 
coal field, in Vancouver, to have an area of 300 square miles. 
It is underlaid by coal seams of from 2 to 10 ft. in thickness, 
which would probably yield an average of 11,840,000 tons per 
square mile. The total production of this field, to a depth of 
1,500 ft. from the surface, is computed to be about 3,552 
millions of tons. The Nanaimo coal field has an estimated area 
of go square miles, and contains three or more seams of from 3 
to ro ft. in thickness. Specimens of carvings in wood and stone 
made by Queen Charlotte Islanders were exhibited. These 
evince considerable constructive ability, and are almost in- 
variably of a grotesque character.—Mr, Billings gave a 
description of the distribution of the cretaceous rocks of 
North America, He then called attention to some of the 
characteristic fossils of the Vancouver and Queen Charlotte 
strata, and showed a series of some of the most striking speci- 
mens. Among these were large ammonites, nautili, and various 
marine shells, of the same genera for the most part as those 
which are frequent in the European chalk formation. He re- 
marked that in the present collection he had not detected any 
remains of large reptiles, or any sea urchins, both of which are 
common in the cretaceous rocks of other localities, 
PHILADELPHIA 
American Philosophical Society, September 20, 1872.— 
The following papers were read by Prof. E. D. Cope—Third 
account of Vertebrata from the Bridger Eocene ; notices of new 
extinct Vertebrata from the upper waters of Bitter Creek, Wyo- 
ming ; from the upper waters of Bitter Creek, Wyoming; ‘‘On the 
existence of Dinosauria in the transition beds of Wyoming Tere 
ritory.” In the last it was shown that the coal series of Bitter 
Creek belonged to the cretaceous formation.—Prof. Houston 
described a sensitive waterfall in Pike Co., Pennsylvania.—Prof, 
Chase communicated observations on some new planetary and 
stellar distances. 5 
October 18.—Two papers from Prof. Cope were read, viz.: “On 
anew Genus of Vertebrata from the Upper Green River Basin,” 
and descriptions of new extinct reptiles from the same. The 
former embraced the description of a new genus of Lemmnid@ or 
allied group, having the dental formula 2— 1—2—3. 
November 1.—Prof. Lesley presented a record of authentic data 
respecting fourteen oil wells in West Pennsylvania. —Prof. Chase 
presented a paper, ‘‘A first approximation to a normal curve 
of temperature in the northern regions of the continent.”— 
Aubury H. Smith described his observations on the sub-alpine 
botany of the north shore of Lake Superior, and ofits absence in 
the Lake Nibbegong region farther north, which he had explored 
in 1872, which he believed was due to the greater coldness of the 
waters of Lake Superior.—Dr. Leconte gave a hygrometric 
explanation for the phenomenon, believing similar ones known 
