Geological Society of London. 187 



sent relations between Mineralogy and the Biological Sciences. After 

 insisting that the supposed distinction between living and non-living 

 matter was not a fundamental one, he maintained that minerals 

 resemble animals in possessing definite organization, and in going 

 through regular cycles of change. He further pointed out that, in 

 the course of its development, Mineralogy was now exactly following 

 in the same lines which had been already taken by Zoology and 

 Botany. He expressed his conviction that Geology and Mineralogy 

 were powerful for mutual help, and that the latter science, now 

 passing from the classificatory stage, had a great future before it. 



The Ballot for the Council and Officers was taken, and the following were duly 

 elected for the ensuing year -.—Pj-esident : — Prof. J. W. Judd, F.R.S. Vice- 

 Presidents : H. Bauerman, Esq. ; Prof. T. G. Bonney, D.Sc, F.R.S. ; A. Geikie, 

 LL.D., F.R.S. ; Henry Woodward, LLD., F.R.S. Secretaries : W. T. Blanford, 

 LL.D., F R.S., and W. H. Hudleston, Esq., M.A., F.R.S. Foreign Secretary : 

 Warington W. Smyth, Esq., M. A., F.R.S. Treasurer : Prof. T. Wiltshire, M.A., 

 F.L.S. Coimcil: H. Bauerman, Esq. ; W. T. Blanford, LL.D., F.R.S. ; Prof. 

 T. G. Bonney, D.Sc, LL.D., F.R.S. ; A. Champernowne, Esq , M.A. ; Thomas 

 Davies, Esq.; Prof. P. M. Duncan, M.B., F.R.S. ; A. Geikie, LL.D.. F.R.S. 

 Henry Hicks, M.D., F.R.S ; Rev. Edwin Hill, M.A. ; W. H. Hudleston, Esq 

 M.A., F.R.S. ; J. W. Hulke, Esq., F.R.S. ; Prof. T. M'Kenny Hughes, M.A. 

 Prof. T. Rupert Jones, F.R.S. ; Prof. J. W Judd, F.R.S. ; R. Lydekker, Esq. 

 B.A. ; J. E. Marr, Esq., M.A. ; E. T. Newton, Esq. ; Prof. H. G. Seeley, F.R.S. 

 Warington W. Smyth, Esq., M.A., F.R S. ; J. J. H. Teall, Esq., M.A. ; Prof. 

 T. Wiltshire, M.A., F.L.S. ; Rev. H. H. Winwood, M.A. ; Henry Woodward 

 LL.D., F.R.S. 



2.— February 23, 1887.— Prof. J. W. Judd, F.R.S., President, in 

 the Chair. The following communications were read : — 



1. " On the Origin of Dry Chalk Valleys and of Coombe Eock." 

 By Clement Reid, Esq., F.G.S. 



Whilst engaged in examining the Pleistocene deposits of Sussex, 

 for the Geological Survey, the author observed that the Coombe 

 Rock differs from anything commonly seen in the strongly glaciated 

 districts of the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Wolds. As in these 

 localities, the seaward slope of the South Downs is broken by the 

 line of a partially buried sea-cliff before passing under the low-lying 

 drift areas. Subsequent to the formation of this sea-cliff a mass of 

 angular flint and chalk detritus spread out from the Downs over 

 the low lands, being seldom found far up the valleys. This is the 

 Coombe Rock, which passes further on into a worthless mixture of 

 angular flint and loam, and at a still greater distance into almost 

 clean brick-earth. It is not of glacial origin, neither is it marine, 

 nor is it a gravel formed by ordinary fluviatile action. A study of 

 the contours of the Downs may give us, the author thinks, a key to 

 the mode of formation. 



The rolling outline of the Downs and the steep-sided dry valleys 

 point to conditions which have passed away. However much rain 

 may fall, the upper parts of these valleys are always dry, and no 

 running water can be found where the incline of the bottom of the 

 valley exceeds the slope of the plane of saturation — never more than 

 60 feet per mile. Three explanations have been offered : — 



1. Former submergence and rise in level of the plane of saturation. 



