142 Reports & Proceedings — Edinburgh Geological Society. 



similar organisms were relatively more abundant during the Cretaceous 

 period, and that their remains gave rise to the deposits of celestite. 

 Although the iron compound haemoglobin plays an important function 

 in the blood of present-day animals, yet cases are known amongst the 

 Crustacea and Mollusca in which the copper compound hsemocyanin 

 performs the same function, and vanadium has been detected in the 

 blood of the Ascidia. During former periods of the earth's history 

 these, and perhaps some other, metals may have been predominant in 

 the blood of animals then living. In this connexion the persistent 

 occurrence in the Permian strata of copper minerals and ores associated 

 with abundant animal remains is significant. Similarly, there may 

 have been at different periods variations in the chemical composition 

 of the ash of plants. The recurring presence of minerals of primary 

 origin in certain sedimentary strata therefore suggests that there may 

 have been varying physiological processes during past periods, and for 

 this new branch of palaeontology the name " Palaeophysiology " is 

 suggested. 



E. S. Simpson : On Tapiolite in the Pilbara Gold-field, "Western 

 Australia. The mineral, which was discovered at Tabba - Tabba 

 Creek and Greens Well, lying in a large area of granite intersected 

 by pegmatite veins and greenstone dykes and bosses, occurs in 

 fairly well-defined crystals, which analysis proved to contain little 

 niobium. At the first locality the crystals displayed the forms 100, 

 001, 111, 101, 320, and were twinned as usual on 101 and often 

 distorted; while at the second they displayed the forms 100, 111, 

 101, 320, and showed twinning about 106 and 301 as well as 101. 

 A curve was prepared showing the specific gravity obtaining in the 

 tetragonal isomorphous series of metatantalates and metaniobates of 

 iron, manganese, and calcium. 



IY. — Edinburgh Geological Society. 

 January 17, 1917.— Dr. Plett, F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 



1. "Low-level Kettle-holes in and near Aberdeen." By 

 Dr. Alexander Bremner. 



A number of kettle-holes, i.e. cup-shaped hollows due to the 

 melting out of isolated masses of ice embedded in fluvio- glacial and 

 morainic deposits, occur below the 100 ft. contour-line in the 

 Aberdeen district. During marine submergence such hollows could 

 not fail to be obliterated by wave action. Hence it may be inferred 

 that in this district (1) there was no 100 ft. submergence, or (2) the 

 submergence was anterior to or contemporary with the last advance of 

 the local ice. 



2. " The Glacial Geology of the Stonehaven District." By 

 Dr. Bremner. 



The district dealt with extends westward from the coast between 

 Dunnottar Castle and Portlethen village to the Dee watershed and 

 south-westward to the Bervie Water from Drumlithie upward. 

 A description was given of the traces left by the ice which, in a phase 



