Reports and Proceedings. 187 
as he had often seen marine beds, containing similar shales, thrown 
up to the surface by faults in the strata.—Mr. Joun Younc, who 
had lately visited the pit (with Mr. Skipsey and Mr. Stokes, 
colliery-manager, who knows the district and its strata intimately), 
and had discovered some of the shells exhibited, stated that he could 
not agree with Mr. Thomson’s objections, as they had carefully 
investigated the position of the shell-bed, and found that it lay only 
afew fathoms under the red sandstone which overlies the Upper 
Coal-measures to the east of Glasgow. All the evidence that could 
be obtained went to prove that the pit is being sunk in these Upper 
Coal-measures; and, as there is only one ved sandstone in this part 
of the field, the horizon of this shell-bed is as clearly marked as if it 
were taken from any bed of coal whose position in those strata is 
well defined. He considered that the discovery of undoubted marine 
shells on the top of our coal-formation was one of great interest to 
the geologist.*—-Mr. Crossxry remarked that the recurrence of one 
of the shells found in this pit, Discina nitida, in the higher group of 
rocks termed Permian, proves it to have lived throughout the Car- 
boniferous period, and shows how unwise it is to dogmatize upon the 
limitation or life-range of certain species. 
Mr. Joun Camppeiy read a paper On some Differences in the 
Results of Ice-action in Scotland and Switzerland, in which he 
attributed the rounded state of the Highland hills to their having 
been enveloped almost to their summits in a sheet of ice, while the 
higher Alpine peaks, on the contrary, at least in modern times, have 
always been elevated considerably above the glaciers, and have been 
worn into their present majestic forms by frost and other causes, 
while the glaciers acted as ravine-cutters and rubbish-carriers. He 
explained ‘the nature of moraines, and the way in which they were 
* Mr. RAW. Skipsey says in a letter, ‘ At a subsequent visit, I foundin the same 
bed another fossil shell, like Axinws ; and then -examined an old pit 300 to 400 
yards distant, making inquiries of the people engaged in working it. Their 
statement was that at 95 fathoms the ‘‘ Main Coal” was got, and for years wrought 
without any obstacles or dislocations; and that the mine was carried within 200 
yards of the new shaft, the coal-seams being persistently in their proper place. 
From the excayated material at the old pit-head I also obtained Productus 
scabriculus and Anthracosia acuta, the latter in ironstone-nodules, different from 
those in which the Productus is found, being of a different colour and in their 
normal state of carbonate. From the position of the Anthracosia-nodules at the 
pit-head, they must evidently have been got in their usual place in our Coal- 
measures, ranging from the “ Kll Coal”’ down to the “‘ Main Seam,” and thus further 
proving the general persistent character of the ground. I inquired pointedly of 
those well acquainted with the ground as to the possibility of an extensive slip 
throwing up the lower beds, and the idea was scouted as groundless; the only dis- 
location being the dyke mentioned in my paper which throws the coal down 5 to 
10 fathoms on one side ; and that dyke was not met with till the shaft was driven 
50 fathoms, being 20 fathoms below the newly found shell- bed. ‘There is a total 
absence of ‘limestone, or anything else, beyond the usual strata of our Upper Coal- 
measures. Mr. J alba Young adds, ‘that it would require a hitch or fault of 170 
fathoms to bring our highest marine beds to the position of the shell-bed above 
mentioned ; and we have no evidence of such an enormous fault in that district, 
nor of the Upper Carboniferous Limestone series ever have been reached in any of 
the pits, which are very numerous there.’ 
