May 4, 1871 
NATURE 
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the pitchstone and porphyry cowdées of the Scir flowed. Vast, 
therefore, as the period must be which is chronicled in the huge 
piles of volcanic beds forming our dolerite plateaux, we must add 
to it the time needed for the excavation of parts of those plateaux 
into river-valleys, and the concluding period of volcanic activity 
during which the rocks of the Scur of Eigg were poured out. 
5. Lastly, from the geology of this interesting island we learn, 
what can be nowhere in Britain more eloquently impressed upon 
us, that, geologically recent as that portion of the Tertiary 
periods may be during which the volcanic rocks of Eigg were 
produced, it is yet separated from our own day by an interval 
sufficient for the removal of mountains, the obliteration of valleys, 
and the excavation of new valleys and glens where the hills then 
stood. The amount of denudation which has taken place in the 
Western Islands since Miocene times will be hardly credible to 
those who have not adequately realised the potency and activity 
of the powers of geological waste. Subterranean movements 
may be called in to account for narrow gorges, or deep glens, or 
profound sea-lochs ; but no subterranean movement will ever 
explain the history of the Scur of Eigg, which will remain as 
striking a memorial of denudation asit is a landmark amid the 
scenery of our wild western shores. Prof. Haughton inquired 
whether Mr. Geikie’s attention had been called to the Morne 
Mountains in Ireland, which seemed to present some analagous 
phenomena to those described in the paper. In the Morne dis- 
trict were dykes of dolerite, pitchstone, and other volcanicrocks 
of the same constitution as those of Antrim. He believed that 
achemical examination of these rocks in different districts would 
prove their common origin. The evidence in Antrim was con- 
clusive as to their Tertiary age in Ireland, and he was glad to 
find that the view of their belonging to a different age in Eigg 
was erroneous. Prof. Ramsay had hitherto believed in the 
Oolitic age of these trap-rocks in Eigg, but accepted the author’s 
views. The interbedding of volcanic beds among the Lower 
Silurian beds in Wales was somewhat analogous. He was glad 
to find the history of these igneous rocks treated of in so geo- 
logical a manner, instead of their being regarded from too purely 
a lithological and mineralogical point of view. The great 
antiquity of these Middle Tertiary Beds had, he thought, been 
most admirably brought forward in the paper, as well as the 
enormous amount of denudation; and he would recommend it 
to the notice of those who had not a due appreciation of geolo- 
gical time. Mr. Forbes hoped that the geologist would remem- 
ber that his father was a mineralogist. It was refreshing to find 
a paper of this kind brought before the Society, as it was to be 
regretted that the details of mineralogy were so little studied in 
this country when compared with the Continent ; and this he 
attributed to the backward state of petrology (admitted by Mr. 
Geikie) in this country. He quite agreed in the view of the 
‘Tertiary age of these rocks. With regard to the terminology 
employed by the author, he objected to the use of the word 
dolerite, as distinct from basalt ; basalt properly comprised, not 
only dolerite, the coarse-grained variety, and anamezite, the finely- 
grained variety, and the true basalt, but also trachylite, which 
was frequently confounded with pitchstone. All four names 
merely referred to structure, and not to composition. Mr. Geikie, 
in reply, stated that he had not examined the Morne Mountains. 
He had notin any way wished to disparage mineralogy, but, on 
the contrary, had attempted to classify the different rocks ac- 
cording to their petrological character. He used the term dole- 
rite in the same sense as the German mineralogists, both as the 
generic name for the whole series, and also for the coarser variety 
of basalt. 3. ‘‘ On the formation of ‘Cirques,’ and their bear- 
ing upon theories attributing the excavation of Alpine Valleys 
mainly to the action of Glaciers,” by the Rev. T. G. Bonney, 
M.A., F.G.S. The paper described a number of these re- 
markable recesses, which, though not restricted to the lime- 
stone districts of the Alps, are best exhibited in them. 
The author gave reasons why he could not suppose them to 
have been formed either as craters of upheaval, or by the action 
of the sea, or by glacial erosion. With regard to the last 
he showed that, even if glaciers had been the principal agents 
in excavating valleys, there were some cirques which could not 
have been excavated by them ; and then went on to argue from 
the fact that glaciers had occupied cirques, and from the relation 
between them and the valleys, that they could not be attributed 
to different agents. He also showed that commonly the upper 
part of the valley, where the erosive action is perhaps least, is 
very much the steepest, and urged other objections to the great 
excavatory powers often attributed to glaciers, He then described 

one or two cirques in detail, and showed that they were worked 
out by the joint action of many small streams, and of the usual 
mete ric agents working upon strata whose configuration was 
favourable to the formation of cliffs. Mr. Whitaker suggested 
an analogy between the cirques and the combesin our own lime- 
stone countries. Mr. Geikie regarded the cirques as analogous 
with the combes of Wales and the corries of Scotland. They 
were not, however, confined to limestone districts, but occurred 
also in gneiss and granite rocks. He thought that the shape was 
much influenced by the bedding and jointing of the rocks, as 
there was an evident connection between these and the shape of 
the combes. He could not, however, see his way to account for 
the vertical cliffs surrounding the cirques. The Rev. T. G. 
Bonney, in reply, observed that though cirques were not confined 
to limestones, the finest instances occurred in suchrocks, When 
cirques occurred in crystalline rocks, the talus was usually much 
larger than in limestone.—The following specimens were exhi- 
bited : Specimens of Fossil Fish-remains from the Lias of Lyme 
Regis ; exhibited by Sir P. de Malpas Grey Egerton, in illus- 
tration of his paper. 
Royal Society of Literature, April 26.—Mr. Hyde Clarke 
read a paper on the ‘* Classic Names of Rivers,” more particu- 
larly in Greece, Asia Minor, and Italy. After referring to the 
discoveries in the stone period by Mr. Finlay and others, and to 
the megalithic and cyclopean structures, he proceeded to con- 
sider what evidence was afforded by topographical nomenclature 
of the populations which preceded the Hellenic. He showed 
that the river-names in the classic regions conformed with each 
other, and that this was not attributable, as supposed, to 
Hellenic colonisation. ‘These names also conform to those of 
India, and of the ancient world generally ; but the explanation 
was not to be found in Aryan etymologies, but that it was to be 
sought in earlier forms. These are represented in the languages 
of the Caucasus, of which the Georgian, Suan, Latian, and 
Lesghian afford examples now. With these the Thracian and 
the languages of Asia Minor corresponded. ‘The local facts gave 
colouring to the legends of the occupation and invasion of Attica 
by the Amazons, and of the existence in Europe of a Thracian 
population allied to that of Asia. The eastern connection of the 
Etruscan and Italian populations, too, was to be accounted for as 
with the Caucasus, and not with America. He referred likewise 
to the influence of the river-names on classic mythology, and 
particularly on the nomenclature of Tartarus. 
Linnean Society, April 20.—Notes on Mr. Murray’s paper 
on the Geographical Relations of the chief Coleopterous Faun, 
by Dr. Roland Trimen. The author considered that the argu- 
ment of a continuity of land at a previous epoch is too often 
resorted to to explain the occurrence of the same species of 
insects in widely remote countries. He entered in considerable 
detail into the chief features of the distribution of the genera and 
species of Coleoptera, especially at the Cape ; laying much stress 
on the difficulty which introduced species find in establishing 
themselves in soil already well stocked. 
Society of Biblical Archeology, April 4.—Dr. S. Birch, 
F.S.A., president, in the chair.—Mr. Henry Theodore Bagster, 
Mr. Richard Bosanquet, Mr. A. W. Franks, M.A., V.P.S.A., 
&c., and Mr. Burnett Tabrum were duly elected members of the 
society. The Secretary read a paper communicated by Mr. 
Henry Fox Talbot, F.R.S., &c., ‘‘On an Eclipse mentioned on 
an Assyrian Tablet.” The tablet in question is preserved in the 
British Museum, and is marked 154 and 1226. ‘The translation 
runs thus: ‘‘ To the King of the World—My Lord, Thy servant, 
Kukuru, sends this :—May Assur, the Sun, and Marduk be pro- 
pitious to my Lord the King in his journey from his kingdom 
to the land of Egypt! I inform his Majesty that in the month 
of Su there was an Eclipse. Five portions of the full orb were 
obscured. Let the King be of tranquil mind, since the eclipse 
of the month of Su portends good fortune to the King.” The 
translator proceeded to identify this eclipse thus recorded with 
one which took place in the seventh warlike expedition of Assur- 
banissal against Tiumman, King of Elam. The next meeting 
was then announced to take place on ‘Tuesday, 2nd proximo, to 
which date the meeting was then adjourned. 
DUBLIN 
Royal Irish Academy, April 10.—Rev. T. H. Jellett, pre- 
sident, in the chair. Prof. Hennessy, F.R.S., read a paper 
On the Floatation of Sand by the incoming tide at the Mouth 
of a Tidal River. During the course of a tour along our 
