246 
&c., occurred in some of the islets, and these were sometimes 
too regular to be explained by deposition in fissures. Near the 
Svolvaer post-office there was gneiss coarsely foliated, containing 
hornblende and mica, with pink orthoclase felspar. The author 
concluded, from his observations, that, with few exceptions, the 
so-called granites of the Lofoten islands are stratified, highly 
metamorphosed rocks, quartzites, and gneiss, generally with 
much felspar in the latter, and with more or less hornblende in 
both, and that they are inferior in position to the gneiss and 
schists of the mainland, and to the more slaty rocks of the 
southern and western parts of the same islands. He compares 
them with some gneiss from Dalbeg on the west coast of the 
island of Lewis. 
. “On Dorypterus Hofmanni, Germar, from the Marl-slate 
of Midderidge, Durham.” By Mr. Albany Hancock, F.L.S., 
and Mr, Richard Howse. Communicated by Prof. Huxley, 
F.R.S., F.G.S. The material for this paper consisted of four 
specimens of Dorypterus Hofmanni, which have been discovered 
by Mr. Joseph Duff, in the marl-slate of Midderidge, and are 
believed to be the first examples of this fish which have been 
obtained in this country. The stratum from which they were 
procured is the same as that described by Prof. Sedgwick in his 
paper published in the Transactions of this Society (2nd series, 
yol. iii. pp. 76,77). The specimens showed that the ‘‘ribbon- 
shaped” process mentioned by Germar is part of a peculiar exo- 
skeleton, and that Doryfterus possessed ventral fins, which 
were situated in front of the pectorals, or ‘‘jugular.” Hitherto 
no fishes with ventral fins other than ‘‘abdominal” in position 
haye been known to occur earlier than the Cretaceous epoch. 
The tail is heterocercal, not homocercal, as Germar supposed. 
The dentition is not displayed in any of -the specimens, and the 
teeth were probably small and inconspicuous ; but the general 
structure of the fish shows it to be most nearly allied to the 
Pycnodonts. 
6. ‘‘ Observations on Ice-marks in Newfoundland.” By Staff 
Commander J. H. Kerr, R.N., F.R.G.S. Communicated by 
the Royal Geographical Society. The author describes and 
tabulates the grooves and scratches observed by him on rock- 
surfaces in various parts of Newfoundland, especially Conception 
Bay, the neighbourhood of St. John’s, and the north of Bona- 
vista Bay. From the diversity of the direction of the markings 
and other considerations, he considers that they must have been 
produced by glaciers, and he believes that the main features of 
the country were much the same as at present before the glacia- 
tion took place. The author thinks that the land has not been 
submerged since it was freed from its coating of ice. 
7. ‘*On the Glacial Phenomena of Western Lancashire and 
Cheshire.” By Mr. C. E. De Rance, F.G.S, The author de- 
scribed the general form of the ground and the preglacial con- 
dition and glacial deposits of the districts of Wirral and Western 
Lancashire, and draws from his observations the following 
general conclusions, That before and at the commencement of 
the glacial epoch the north-west of England was more elevated 
above the sea-levei than at present, but afterwards gradually sub- 
sided, during which process marine denudation produced the 
plains of Wirral and Western Lancashire. Part of the latter has 
since been covered with glacial deposits 200 feet thick. The 
valleys running in the strike of the Triassic strata appear to have 
been formed by subaérial agencies. It is probable that when the 
glacial epoch commenced the hilly country was covered with 
immense glaciers, or with an ice-sheet, which, as the land sunk, 
reached the sea. The //igh-level lower Boulder-clay was probably 
produced by this land-ice. The land continued subsiding until it 
stood 100 feet lower than at present, submerging the lowlands 
of Lancashire and Cheshire to a depth of rather less than 25 
fathoms, the coast-line being surrounded by an ice-foot, which 
received on its surface quantities of pebbles and boulders from 
the lake-district. These, on the breaking up of the ice-foot, 
were spread over the lowlands, forming the Low-level Lower 
Boulder-clay. The climate then improved, although subsidence 
still continued, and the sandy and gravelly deposits of the middle 
drift were produced ; these deposits, at whatever elevation they 
occur, having been found in shallow water during the constant 
subsidence of the coast-line. The surface of the middle Drift 
shows traces of what seems to have been subaérial erosion, lead- 
ing to the supposition that the land must have risen and suffered 
denudation before that depression during which the Upper 
Boulder-clay was deposited, at which period the climate again 
became extremely cold, and fresh glaciers were formed. Before 
the elevation of the Upper Boulder-clay the climate was greatly 
ameliorated. 
NATURE 
[%uly 21, 1870 
8. On the Preglacial Deposits of Western Lancashire and 
Cheshire.” By Mr. C. E. De Rance, F.G.S. The author 
believed that after the deposition of the Esker Drift the country 
rose to from 200 to 300 feet higher than at present ; but in the 
course of this elevation there was a pause, during which denuda- 
tion took place, and the low plains, now covered with peat-moss, 
came into existence. From the consideration of the present 
depths of the channel between Great Britain and Ireland, the 
author inferred that an elevetion of 200 feet would have caused 
the coast-line to run from the Mull of Galloway to St. David’s 
Head ; and Ireland would have been so connected with Wales 
as to render possible the migration of mammals, plants, and of 
man himself, Glaciers probably still persisted in the lake-dis- 
trict during the whole of this period of elevation. During a 
subsequent subsidence drainage became greatly obstructed, peat 
was formed, the sea encroached upon the land and worked its 
way eastward over the sea-bottom of postglacial times, a move- 
ment yet in progress. Here and there sand has begun to blow, 
forming dunes. 
g. *‘ Observations on Modern Glacial Action in Canada.” 
By the Rev. W. Bleasdell, M.A., Rector of Trenton, Com- 
municated by Principal Dawson, F.R.S., F.G.S. The author 
described some phenomena of ice-transport observed in Canada, 
especially those produced by the flood, anchor, or pack-ice pro- 
duced in the rapids of the Canadian rivers. To this he attri- 
buted the entire disappearance of Crab Island in the River St. 
Lawrence, near Cornwall. This island occupied about an acre 
and a half within the memory of men now living; it has now 
entirely disappeared, and the water above it is gradually deepen- 
ing. The island, according to the author, has been carried 
away piecemeal by the action of miniature icebergs, floated off 
by a rise in the water produced by a dam of anchor-ice below. 
ro. ‘*On an altered Clay-bed and Sections in Tideswell Dale 
Derbyshire.” By the Rev. J. M. Mello, M.A, F.G.S. The 
author describes the sequence of the rocks seen ina quarry in 
Tideswell Dale as follows :—Beneath a thin layer of surface-soil 
isa bed of Toadstone, containing concretionary balls, and much 
decomposed above ; beneath this is Toadstone in large blocks of 
indefinite shape, very hard, dark-green, and apparently doleritic, 
nine or ten feet thick, passing downwards into a coarse and much 
decomposed bed, partly amygdaloid, partly vesicular, about one 
foot thick. Beneath the Toadstone rocks, and without any 
sharp line of demarcation, is a thick bed of indurated red clay, 
three yards in thickness, presenting a regularly prismatic-columnar 
structure, resting on a thin bed of greenish-yellow clay, contain- 
ing fragments of limestone, which covers beds of good Derby- 
shire marbles containing corals. The author suggests that the 
columnar clay-bed may perhaps be a local development of that 
which forms partings in the limestone near Litton Tunnel, 
BRIGHTON 
Brighton and Sussex Natural History Society, JZicro- 
scopical Section. June 23.—Mr. Glaisyer, vice-president, in the 
chair, The subject for the evening was /z/usoria, by Mr. 
Wonfor. Every one is aware that if any vegetable or animal 
substance is placed in water, in a few days the water will be 
found full of minute organisms, :to which the name Zx/usoria or 
infusion animalcules has been given; many forms, though at first 
figured and described as distinct species, are now proved to be 
the early stages of other animals; others have been classed among 
another group of animals, and a larger number arranged among 
plants. The class Zn/usovia is much more limited than at one 
time supposed to be; and further, an increased knowledge 
might prove that many more were only the early stages of other 
and higher types of life. Mr. Wonfor then proceeded to point 
out the nature of their substance, their modes of development, 
increase, and propagation, So widely were they distributed that 
scarcely anywhere could water be found which did not contain 
some /ifusoria. Many would live only in fresh water, others in 
salt or brackish water, while others were only to be met with in 
water containing decomposing vegetable or animal substances, 
Hence, water contaminated by sewage matter always showed 
certain types. While some were only to be found. in particular 
infusions, others were common to several, Their appearance, 
under certain conditions, had led to theories on spontaneous 
generation, a much debated and debateable point ; but as the 
atmosphere, according to Tyndall and others, appeared to be 
full of germs, their sudden appearance under favourable condi- 
tions was not surprising. The water in which cut flowers were 
kept was sure to yield some sorts; in fact, he had obtained an 
abundant supply of one kind from some water in which migno- 
