330 Heports and Proceedings — Geological Society of London. 



only in those seams which lie on a floor of soft black shale, and 

 sometimes, instead of dead ground, there are large areas with very- 

 thin coal. The flat roofs of coal-seams in the dead ground are 

 invariably striated. The author's theory is that all these effects 

 have been caused by the gradually increasing movement of the 

 strata from the top seam or ' Great Vein ' to the bottom seam or 

 ' Bull Vein.' The coal-seams nearly always thin from their 

 undersides upward, as though the floor had moved farther, or at 

 a greater rate, than the roof. 



III.— May 28th, 1 902.— Professor Charles Lapworth, LL.D., F.E.S., 

 President, in the Chair, 



The President reported that in consonance with the resolution 

 passed at the previous meeting of the Fellows, he and Sir Archibald 

 Geikie had forwarded a letter to the French Minister of the Colonies 

 and H.M. Secretary of State for the Colonies, expressive of the 

 sympathy of the Geological Society with the sufferers from the 

 volcanic catastrophes in Martinique and St. Vincent. 



The Secretary read the following letter regarding the recent fall 

 of volcanic ash in Barbados, and reported that the thanks of the 

 Council had been conveyed to the writer : — 



' ' Imperial Agricultural Departmeut for the "West ludies, Barbados. 



Wi Maij, 1902. 

 " Dear Sir, — I am sending you by this mail a small quantity of the volcanic ash 

 that fell at Barbados soon after the volcanic eruption at St. Vincent on "Wednesday 

 last. I am also sending you newspaper reports, and you will obtain practically all 

 particulars from them. There is a note about the ash in the Agricultural Netvs, 

 giving an estimate of the quantity per acre that fell in this island. It is singular that 

 the circumstances correspond so exactly with what took place in 1812. Fortunately, 

 within four hours after the fall of the ashes, we have had drenching showers which 

 have, to a great extent, washed the ashes from the roofs of the dwellings and from 

 vegetation, and also laid the dust which during yesterday was most trjang and 

 uncomfortable. The roads are still covered with a sandy coating, which is not at all 

 muddy or sticky. Naturally the chemical composition of the ash is of great interest 

 to the planters, as it may have an appreciable effect on next year's crops. The old 

 canes have nearly aU been reaped, and the young canes are in such a condition that 

 they should largely benefit by any fertilizing properties that may be in the ash. In 

 the case of the ash that fell in 1812, Davy is said to have found it to contain sUex, 

 alumina, oxide of iron, and oxide of manganese. I noticed that the ash at first was 

 rather coarse and of a brownish colom', then it became slightly redder, while the final 

 deposits consisted of a whitish-grey, impalpable powder. I shall send you any further 

 particiilars that may come to hand. — With kind wishes, believe me, 



' ' Sincerely yours, 

 "The Secretary, Geological Society, (Signed) D. Morris. 



Burlington House, Piccadilly , London.'''' 



Professor W. Boyd Dawkins exhibited a series of photographs and 

 specimens of sand-worn pebbles collected by Lady Constance Knox 

 in New Zealand. The district in which the specimens occur is 

 near the coast of North Island, in the neighbourhood of the Eiver 

 Waitotara, from a tableland about 250 feet above sea-level. 



" On the tableland, above high cliffs, are rolling sand-dunes, which are continually 

 shifting Avitli every storm, and extend for several miles along the coast ; among them 

 are to be found interesting kitchen -middens. Directly inland from the sand-dunes is 

 the district covered with sand-Avorn stones, extending over an area of some miles. 



