286 Correspondence — C. L. Lloyd — J. Smith. 



COREESPOlsrDEUCE. 



GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CAPE COLOXY. 



Sir. — In accordance with a resolution of the House of Assembly, 

 carried last year, a Commission has been, appointed in terras of the 

 accompanying Notice, " for the purpose of organizing, controlling, 

 and directing the work of Geological Exploration and Survey in this 

 Colony." 



The Commission has now appointed the undermentioned gentlemen 

 to begin the work of surveying and mapping the country : — 

 Geologist : G. S. Corstorphine, B.Sc. (Edin.), Ph.D. (Munich). 

 Assistant Geologist: A. W. Rogers, B.A. (Cantab). 



E. H. L. Schwarz, A.R.C.S. 

 As early as possible the Commission will publish and distribute 

 a bibliography of South African Geology. 



C. L. Lloyd, 

 Acting Secretary to Geological Commission. 



Geological Department, South African Museum, 



Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope. 



February, 1896. 



DISCOVERY OF IXTERGLACIAL SHELL-BEDS IX AYRSHIRE. 



Sir,— I beg to intimate that I have discovered Interglacial Shell- 

 Beds at fourteen localities in Ayrshire, ranging from 55 to 740 feet 

 above sea-level. 



The Interglacial Beds attain a thickness at parts of over 100 feet, 

 the usual arrangement being: 



Upper Boulder-clay (ground moraine) with well- 

 striated blocks up to 8 feet in diameter ... 76 feet 

 Sand Bed ... ... ... ... ... ... a few „ 



Shelly Pebbly Clay ... ... ... ... 14 ,, 



Sharp sand, gravel, and muddy sand ... over 100 „ 



Lower Boulder-clay with large well-striated blocks 30 ,, 



This is taking the beds at their thickest, but not seen in any one 

 section. 



The shells are all in pebbly clay, which I take to indicate that this 

 bed was deposited in deep ivater by surface-currents carrying clay, 

 and shore-ice carrying stones and gravel. I say shore-ice advisedly, 

 as only afeto of the stones in this bed reach a diameter of 20 inches. 

 (Had this bed been deposited b}' bottom currents, the clay ought to 

 have been swept away.) In some of the sections the shells are 

 abundant, but mostly as sharp-edged fragments. Where there is 

 a sand-bed between the shell-bed and the Upper Boulder-clay, the 

 shells are in the best state of preservation, the sand-bed having 

 acted as a cushion against the trail of the Upper Boulder-clay 

 (ground moraine). Where there is no sand-bed in this position, 

 the shells are more fragmentary and sometimes scratched. 



