TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS^ 69 



are also special courses of instruction in engineering subjects given by men of the 

 greatest eminence. 



In matters relating to the higher education, Government have taken action from 

 time to time, by establishing special schools, without tirst taking means to ascer- 

 tain what arrangements already existed for carrying out the object in view, or what 

 kind of arrangement had been proved by experience to be most effectual for the 

 purpose. 



Under these circumstances, the British Association urged upon Her Majesty's 

 Government la?t session the desirability of appointing a Royal Commission for the 

 purpose of obtaining information respecting the existing arrangements for scientific 

 instruction in this country ; and it is well known that a Commission has already 

 begun to take e\idence on the subject. 



There is reason to believe that the labours of the Commission will be of great 

 value to the cause of scientific education, and will prepare the way for the deve- 

 lopment of some system worthy of England, by showing what are the available 

 resources of the countrj'' for such a purpose, and what has been found by experience 

 to be the respective merits of the various methods in use. 



Under these circumstances, it was -wath no small surprise that an announcement 

 was received to the effect that Government is about to establish an official engi- 

 neering college. 



GEOLOaT. 

 On Newly discovered Species of Elephants *. By Dr. Leith Adams. 



Notes of a recent Visit to the Great Tunnel through the Alps, and of several 

 points of Geological interest suggested hy the condition of the Worhs in their 

 present nearly complete state. By D. T. Ansxed, M.A., F.B.S., For. Sec. 

 G.S. 



The author, referring to memoirs recently published by Professors Sismonda and 

 M. Elie de Beaumont on the rocks met with during the construction of the tunnel, 

 directed attention to the fact that the timnel ^viU perforate the crest of the main 

 chain of the Alps at a point nearly midway between Mont Tabor and the Mont 

 Cenis, and directly under Mont Frejus, the height of the crest between these limits 

 varying from 7000 to 10,400 feet above the sea. The valleys on the two sides of 

 the crest being of very different levels, the determination of the site for the tunnel 

 involved many difficulties, but was suggested by an Italian in 1841. The works 

 were commenced in 1857, and on the 31st of July there remained less than 2000 feet 

 out of 40,000 to pierce. 



The rocks of the crest of the Savoy Alps are metamorphic schists alternating 

 with bands of quartzite, gj'psum, and highly calcareous schist with masses of anthra- 

 cite. They are the middle and lower divisions of the mesozoic period, ranging 

 perhaps from the Jurassic to the Triassic periods. Near Moutiers they contain 

 characteristic fossils, chiefly liassic species. 



The level of the valley of the Arc at Modena, near which town the tunnel works 

 commence, is more than 200 feet below the point on the hillside where the tunnel 

 enters. This latter point is 3946^ feet above the sea. On the ItaUan side the 

 tunnel emerges near Bardonneche 438H feet above the sea, or 4.35 feet higher. 

 The bearing of the tunnel is N. 14° \V.-S. 14° E. The strike of the rocks per- 

 forated is nearly uniform, and is N.E.-S.W., the rocks having a mean dip of about 

 60° N.W. Being thus cut obliquely, the real thickness of rock is about three-fifths 

 the distance bored. The total length of the tunnel being about 40,000 feet, the 

 thickness of rock traversed is about 24,000 feet. There is no indication of fault in 

 any part. 



* A communication ordered to be printed in extenso among the Eeporta. 



