394 
occurs at the bottom of the greater part of the Irish 
Sea. All along the coast of Lancashire, Cheshire, 
and to a certain extent North Wales, the peat, with a 
forest at its base and the clay containing the roots of the 
trees, may be seen, nowhere so well as at Leasowe, in 
Cheshire, and at the mouth of the Alt, Hightown, Lanca- 
shire (eight or nine miles from Liverpool). In both 
localities the peat, the forest at the base, and the grey 
clay below, occupy the country inland, run wzder the sand 
dunes, emerge on the coast, and disappear under the sea 
sand at low-water mark. In North Cheshire the peat is 
sometimes split into two, a bed of grey clay, with Scrobz- 
cularia piperata, being intercalated in the mass. This I 
consider to have been formed when the Mersey entered 
the sea, through what is now the gorge of Wallesey Pool. 
Very near the top of the peat a thin seam of sand occurs, 
both in Cheshire and Lancashire, containing Ze//zna 
Balthica and Cardium edule. 1 called it the zone of 7. 
Balthica. The grey clay of the Isle of Man, with Cervus 
Megaceros, isno doubt of the same age as the “Cyclus 
‘Clay ” of Lancashire. 
Those who visit Hightown will find the peat, which is 
there from twelve to twenty feet thick, covered on either 
side of the River Alt with an alluvium which, near the 
sea, contains Scrobiculari@, and inland graduates into a 
fluviatile deposit, with freshwater shells. They will find 
the base of the sand dunes, where they rest on the upper 
surface of the peat,to be, as at Leasowe,in North Cheshire, 
a freshwater deposit, which I called the Bythinia tenta- 
culata sand; it contains thin seams of peat up to a height 
of eight or ten feet from the base. 
My notes are already so long that I abstain from saying 
anything of the marine fauna of the coast and other 
matters: those that I have written refer to districts in 
which the maps, &c., of the Geological Survey are already 
published, and I have of course written as a private geolo- 
gist, stating my individual opinions, 
C. E, DE RANCE 
H.M. Geological Survey 
THE SECOND PROVINCIAL MEETING OF 
THE IRON AND STEEL INSTITUTE 
ies Institute bearing the above name was originated 
about two years ago, chiefly by the North of 
England ironmasters, among whom there are many 
gentlemen who combine in themselves great practical 
skill and a large amount of scientific knowledge. It was 
not formally launched into existence till the month of 
June, 1869, when the inaugural address was delivered to 
a meeting of the members, held in the Hall of the So- 
ciety of Arts, by the president, the Duke of Devon- 
shire, who is intimately and extensively connected with 
the iron and steel trades through the great works of 
Barrow-in-Furness, perhaps the greatest Bessemer steel 
works in the world. The aim of the Institute is to 
hold two meetings annually—one in London, in the 
spring, and the other in the country in theautumn. The 
first provincial meeting was held, about a year ago, in 
Middlesborough, the capital of the Cleveland district, 
the greatest and most scientific iron-making district 
either in this or any other country. In May last the 
second metropolitan meeting was held; and now the 
second provincial meeting has just been held at Merthyr 
Tydvil, in South Wales. At all these three meetings there 
haye been read papers of very great interest and im- 
NATURE 
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1| 
[Sef¢. 15, 1870, 
! 
portance, both from a scientific and a practical point of 
view. Then, taking the experience of the two provincial 
meetings, the members not only have the benefit of hear- 
ing the papers read and of taking part in the discussions © 
to which they give rise, but they also have the opportunity | 
of visiting the numerous works that are thrown open for 
their inspection, where they can sce scientific theories 
put to practical tests, and where they can compare notes 
with each other upon the subjects which deeply concern_ 
them as practical and professional men. It is well known 
that “iron sharpeneth iron :” and in these country meetings 
of the Iron and Steel Institute this wise saw has many apt 
illustrations. Examples to imitate are seen in abundance ; 
many points are observed that are suggestive and that 
excite to further improvements in other hands; and in 
numerous instances things are seen which impart lessons 
of a totally different sort, inasmuch as they show what 
errors of commission are to be avoided. Both successes 
and failures can give instruction to thoughtful minds. 
This year’s provincial meeting of the Institute, as 
already indicated, has been ‘held at Merthyr. It opened 
on the morning of Tuesday, 6th September, in the Tem- 
perance Hall of that town, the centre and most important 
seat of the iron trade of South Wales. After the transac- 
tion of some formal business, and the appointment of Mr. 
Henry Bessemer as the president-elect of the Institute, 
the business of reading and discussing the papers pre- 
pared for the meeting was proceeded with. Alto- 
gether there were seven papers set down for reading 
and discussion on the mornings of Tuesday and Wednes- 
day, the 6th and 7th September, which was all the time 
that could be devoted to that work, as the afternoons 
were required for visiting and inspecting the works in 
and immediately around Merthyr, while Thursday and 
Friday were required for the inspection of works at a 
distance. One praiseworthy feature in connection with 
the meetings in Merthyr was the circumstance of printed 
copies of the papers being in the hands of the members 
before they were read by the authors. Owing to this 
arrangement members were generally enabled to come 
prepared to enter upon the discussion of the papers with 
intelligence and with some degree of satisfaction. In two 
instances the papers supplied to the members were accom- 
panied by engravings of the objects described. Both of 
these features of the Iron and Steel Institute Meeting 
might be copied with advantage by other learned societies, 
as they are calculated to impart additional interest to the 
meetings. 
The Iron and Steel Institute already numbers upwards 
of 350 members, including several peers of the realm, 
about a dozen members of Parliament, and almost every 
person in the kingdom who has of late years added to 
the stock of our knowledge regarding the manufacture, 
the manipulation, and the use of iron and steel. It has 
very soon acquired a national importance, and its future 
prosperity seems to be almost assured. In order to 
make the Institute more and more useful to the persons 
who may be connected with it as members, it is intended 
to publish a Quarterly Journal of the Institute instead of 
the Transactions. This will commence on the Ist of 
January, 1871, and its contents will be as follow :— 
First, the proceedings of the Institute, and of the 
Council from time to time. Second, the papers and 
discussions at the general meetings of the Institute. 
Third, communications from members upon matters of 
special interest to the trade, which are approved by the 
Council. Fourth, a quarterly epitome of inventions, 
discoveries, publications, and proceedings bearing upon 
the British iron and steel trades. Fifth, a comprehen- 
sive report on matters connected with the iron and steel 
trades in foreign countries. It is very satisfactory to 
know that the foreign department of the journal will be 
under the special management of Mr. David Forbes, 
F.R.S., and that the general editorship will be conducted 
