Reports and Proceedings. 273 
the formation of this Coralloidal Aragonite, and came to the con- 
clusion that the theory of a circulation, through the pores of the 
spar, of fluids holding its component parts in solution is the only 
one that harmonizes with the varied phenomena observed in the two 
caverns he had described. 
3. ‘ Notes on presenting some Rhomboidal Specimens of Ironstone, 
&e. By Sir J. F. W. Herschel, Bart., K.C.H., F.R.S., F.G.S., &e. 
With a Note by Captain T. Longworth Dames. Communicated by 
Sir C. Lyell, Bart., F.R.S., F.G.S.—Most of these specimens came 
from a quarry at Clanmullen, near Edenderry, King’s County, and 
the remainder from the Collingwood Quarry, in the Weald of Kent. 
The Irish specimens are siliceous, containing some oxide of iron 
and a little manganese, and are homogeneous throughout. They all 
agree in the sharpness of definition and the exact parallelism and 
evenness of the flat surfaces; but, like those from the Weald, they 
are not constant in form or size, and sometimes are very irregular 
in angle and in the parallelism of opposite sides. The Wealden 
specimens, however, are all closed boxes, each containing a rhom- 
boid of hardened sandstone, the outer case being highly ferruginous 
—in fact, the ‘Ironstone of the Weald.’ Sir John Herschel endea- 
voured to account for the formation of the boxes, and Captain 
Dames added a Note stating the circumstances under which the 
Trish specimens occur. 
Il. May 10, 1865 ; W. J. Hamilton, Esq., President, in the chair. 
The following communications were read:—1. ‘On the Azoic and 
Paleozoic Rocks of Southern New Brunswick.’ By G. F. Matthew, 
Esq. Communicated by Dr. J. W. Dawson, F.R.S., F.G.S.—After 
briefly narrating the History of the Geology of the region, the author 
described each of the formations successively in detail; namely, the 
Laurentian (Portland series), Huronian (Coldbrook group), Lower 
Silurian (St. John group), Upper Silurian, Middle and Upper De- 
vonian (including the Bloomsbury group, Little River group, and 
Mispeck group), Lower and Upper Carboniferous. The only im~ 
portant hiatus is, therefore, that wherein the Trenton Limestones 
and Hudson River Shales should fall, and those formations probably 
form part of the Lower Silurian rocks already known. Mr. Matthew 
then stated that it is now a well-established fact, that throughout 
Paleozoic time the centre of the North American continent was 
comparatively stable, the whole series of formations being found in 
continuous and conformable succession, from the base of the Silurian 
to the summit of the Permian. The stratigraphical peculiarities of 
the several formations in regard to their mutual relations were next 
described; and the author inferred the existence of at least three 
breaks, and possibly a fourth (between the two sections of the Car- 
boniferous system) in the Paleozoic series of Acadia; namely, be- 
tween the Huronian and the Silurian; between the Lower and Upper 
Silurian, and between the ‘Lower Devonian and Upper Silurian,’ 
and the ‘ Middle and Upper Devonian.’ 
2. ‘Results of Geological Observations in Baden and Franco- 
nia.’ By Dr. F. Sandberger, For. Corr. G.S. Communicated by the 
VOL. II.—NO. XII. ae 
