Corresjjondence — J. Smith, 525 



BOEINGS OF SAXICAVA 300-450 FEET ABOVE THE SEA. 



Sir, — During the earlier part of this month, when examining the 

 rocks of Carleton Hill, six miles S.S.W. of Girvan, I discovered 

 a number of Saxicava borings in the rock at from 300 to 450 feet 

 above sea-level. The borings have been made into bits of limestone 

 occurring in the igneous rocks of which this hill is mostly composed. 



I know that the land-shell Helix aspersa gets the credit of being 

 able to bore holes in limestone, but although I have known this snail 

 for many years, I have never seen an instance of its having bored 

 a hole ; it congregates in clusters into ready-made crevices. 



However, to return to the Carleton Hill borings, I pared away 

 about two inches from the surface of one of the bits of limestone, 

 and found the molluscan borings ramifying through the stone exactly 

 in the manner in which they occur in limestone bored by Saxicava 

 at the present day. 



I know that no geologist will remove these ancient ' Nilometers,* 

 although they may not escape the clutches of the mere ' specimen- 

 hunter.' 



The occurrence of borings in the rock of Carleton Hill is quite in 

 keeping with the evidence afforded by the sea-shells obtained in the 

 Ayrshire drift up to more than twice the height of 450 feet, a detailed 

 description of which has been published by the Geological Society 

 of Glasgow.! J. Smith. 



MONKREDDIXG, KlL"^'IXNING. 



September 26, 1903. 



SECTION OF THE THAMES ALLUVIUM IN BEEMONDSEY. 

 Sir, — Will you kindly allow me to correct a misprint in the 

 paper "On a Section of the Thames Alluvium in Bermondsey." 

 In the section on p. 456 the top line is stated to be " sea-level " ; 

 this should be '•' street-level." The actual level of the street here is 

 about 15 feet O.D. S. Hazzledine Warren. 



CONNAUGHT AvBNUE, LoUGHTON, EsSEX. 



October 14, 1903. 



OBITTJ.A.ia"^. 



ALPHONSE FRANCOIS RENARD. 



Born Septembeu 26, 1842. ' Died July 9, 1903. 



Among the geologists of the Continent there was probably none so 

 widely known personally in this country as Professor Eenard. 

 Hence the announcement of his death has brought with it to us, not 

 only regret for the loss which science has sustained, but sorrow for 

 the premature decease of one who was familiar to a large circle 

 as a pleasant companion and to not a few as a valued friend. 

 He was born at Eenaix, in Belgium, but, though a native of that 

 country, he received his scientific training in Germany, if the 

 writer's memory serves him, at the Jesuit seminary of the Abbey 

 of Maria Laach, before that institution was dissolved. Not 

 improbably the geological attractions of the volcanic district of the 

 1 Transactions Geological Society of Glasgow, suppl. to vol. xi. 



