OcToBER 16, 1902] _ 
NATURE 
619 
In the department of astronomy and cosmical physics, Dr. 
W. E. Wilson exhibited a bolometer arranged to record solar 
radiation. It consists of two blackened coiled platinum wires, 
on one of which the light of the sun is allowed to fall through 
an opening in the metal box in which both are enclosed. The 
Rev. A. L. Cortie has examined in detail the Greenwich records 
of sun-spots and faculz, and the diurnal ranges of the declination 
magnet, for the years 1899-1901, and finds that there is not 
sufficient accordance to support the statement sometimes made 
that sun-spots cause magnetic storms. He considers the two 
are correlated effects of some common cause still to be found. 
The committee for investigating the upper atmosphere by 
means of kites gave a report of flights made from their station 
near Oban during July and August. The average height reached 
was about 3500 feet, and the average rate of decrease of tem- 
perature upwards about 3°°5 F. per 1000 feet. 
Dr. Shaw, in his communication on radiation in meteorology, 
pointed out that radiation or absorption of heat by a cloud 
would result in motion of the cloud downwards or upwards. 
This motion would produce in its turn a heating or cooling of 
the cloud opposed to the initial change, and a much more careful 
and extended study of the radiation from clouds ‘than had 
hitherto been attempted was necessary before several of the 
problems connected with cloud motion could be solved. He 
suggested several ways in which observers with simple instru- 
ments could help toward the solution of these problems. 
Prof. Milne, in presenting the report of the Seismological 
Committee, stated that each of the recent West Indian eruptions | 
had been preceded by sudden readjustments of the strata in the 
neighbourhood, which left their traces on the earthquake-re- 
cording instruments. This may, after further investigation, lead 
to a method of predicting eruptions. 
Dr. Roberts exhibited photographs of nebule illustrating the 
nebular theory of the evolution of star systems, from cloudy 
nebulze, through the spiral stage, to star clusters. 
Mr. Hinks opened a discussion on the nebula surrounding 
Nova Persei by showing that some of the phenomena exhibited 
by the nebula might be due to its being ring-shaped. Photo- 
graphs exhibited by Dr. Roberts did not, however, appear to 
support this view, and there seems little hope of coming to any 
definite conclusion as to the nature of the nebula until more 
information as to its appearance is available. C. H. LEEs. 
GEOLOGY AT THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 
HE ttotal number of communications brought before 
Section C at Belfast was thirty-five. None of them can 
be said to have been of really great importance, but they were 
for the most part records of good work. The Committee on 
Life-zones in the Carboniferous Rocks sent in an admirable report 
of careful and systematic fossil-collecting. The Committees on 
the Underground Waters of N.W. Yorkshire and on Erratic 
Blocks were also able to show excellent work, and Prof. W. W. 
Watts, as usual, brought a good series of photographs which 
had been collected by his committee during the past year. 
Proceedings opened on Thursday, September 11, with the 
president’s address, which has already been printed in our 
columns. It was followed by a lecture on the geology of the 
country around Belfast by Prof. Grenville A. J. Cole. On 
the morning of Sept. 15 Prof. Cole gave a second lecture, on the 
geological structure of Ireland ; both lectures were illustratec 
by lantern slides and were listened to with close attention by 
large audiences. A considerable number of the papers naturally 
dealt with the geology of Ireland, and it may be convenient to 
notice them first and then to mention some of the other com- 
munications in geographical order. A proof-sheet of the Drift 
edition of the geological map of Ireland was exhibited by 
Mr. Teall, the director of the Survey. He explained that it 
was printed in colour instead of being hand-coloured, and was 
consequently clearer and would cost much less than the hand- 
coloured maps now issued by the Survey. 
The post-Glacial deposits of the Belfast district were described 
in a most interesting paper by Mr. R. Lloyd Praeger. A peat 
bed, representing an old land surface, is found 20 feet below 
low water at Belfast, but between tides at other places in the 
district. In it remains of the Irish elk have been found, and a 
little above it there is some 12 feet of blue clay, the upper part 
of which contains 7hracza convexa and other shells, indicating 
a warmer climate than the fauna now living in the Irish Sea and 
NO. 1720, VOL. 66] 
a depth of five to ten fathoms, whilst in the lower part of the 
clay, Scrobicularia piperata and fossils of a shore type are found. 
Mr, P. F. Kendall read a paper by Madame Christen giving 
an account of the recent work of the Belfast Field Club. The 
members have made a careful study of the drifts of the district. 
They have, for example, proved the transport of the Rhyolite 
of Tardree to the north as well as in other directions. Attention 
was also drawn to the wide dispersal through the district of 
blocks from Ailsa Craig, and it was stated that these blocks are 
practically always found associated with marine shells. The 
committee appointed to explore Irish caves was able to show 
excellent work in the caves of Keishcorran Mountain, a mass 
of Carboniferous Limestone fifteen miles south of Sligo. In the 
Coffey Cave, bones of the Arctic lemming had been found in 
considerable numbers. This, the report states, is the first 
record of its existence as a former inhabitant of Ireland. 
Excavations in an extensive series of caves at Edenvale, county 
Clare, were described. Remains of bear and of the Irish elk 
were recorded, as well as human implements, ornaments, Xc., 
and Mr. R. J. Ussher, who read the report, said that he hoped 
for important evidence of the state of prehistoric Ireland from 
further exploration. 
Mr. Joseph Wright announced his discovery of large numbers 
of marine Foraminifera in Boulder-clay from various places in 
Ireland and also from England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of 
Man and Canada. He more especially dealt with the Boulder- 
clay of Knock Glen, near Belfast. From it he had obtained 
seventy-nine species, and he suggested a considerable depression 
of the area at the time of its deposition. This led to an animated 
| discussion, Prof. Boyd Dawkins supporting the author’s view 
and Messrs. Lamplugh and Kendall contending for a transport 
of the clay to its present position by land ice. ‘ 
A paper by Mr. R. Clark dealt with the Silurians of north- 
east Ireland. The author described some new fossil localities 
and gave lists of the species found. 
Mr. G. Barrow read a paper on the prolongation of the 
Highland Border rocks into county Tyrone. The author 
referred to the Jasper and green-rock series, which he had 
found between Blairgowrie and Stonehaven (Q_/.G.S. vol. lvii. 
p. 328), and explained that he believed it to correspond with a 
series found by Mr. Peach near Omagh. He thought these 
rocks were intermediate in age between the Highland rocks, 
which he looked upon as Archzean, and a newer series, the 
Pomroy rocks, of Silurian age. q ; 
An interesting discussion followed the reading of this paper. 
Mr. McHenry agreed that in Ireland there are three series :— 
(1) Anoldseries, which he thought was probably metamorphosed 
Llandeilo and Bala; (2) the green rocks ; and (3) the Pomroy 
rocks, which are mapped Lower Silurian, but contain Devonian 
and Wenlock fossils with a few survivors of Bala type. The 
conglomerates of this third series contain pebbles of the green 
rocks. He agreed that the line between the green rocks and 
the older series was a great thrust which in his opinion affected 
the Old Red Sandstone. He had followed it south-west to 
Castlebar and Clew Bay into Clare Island. 
Mr. Teall agreed that this line of disturbance in Ireland should 
be classed with that which the author had worked out in 
Forfarshire, but he thought further evidence was required as to 
the age of the rocks. Dr. Matley, Prof. Cole, Prof. J. F. Blake 
and Mr. Cunningham-Craig also spoke. In reply, the author 
said he was sure of the order of succession, but not of the precise 
age of the rocks. : 
A list of 113 minerals known to occur in Ireland was 
contributed by Mr. H. J. Seymour. He explained that it 
was but of a preliminary character and that he had only 
included species which he was satisfied really have been found 
in the country. 
Passing to Scottish geology, a paper of very great 
interest was sent in by Mr. Kynaston and was read by 
Mr. Teall. The author described a series of volcanic rocks in 
the district extending from Glen Coe to the Black Mount. 
The lower part consists of some 1500 feet of basic andesites 
with sandstone, shale and conglomerate at the base. Above 
these andesites are agglomerates and breccias capped by some 
700 feet of hornblende andesite. Messrs. Peach and Tait have 
discovered plant remains in a bed of black shale associated with 
these lavas which enable the author to fix their age as Lower 
Old Red Sandstone; that is, they are of the same date as the 
great volcanic series of Lorn. 
The author then showed that the granite of Ben Cruachan 
