Reports and Proceedings — Geological Sociefg of London. 571 



covered over by about seven feet of stratified sands, gravels, and 

 brickeartli. These deposits were found to spread out for considerable 

 distances over tlie plain, and to be cut through also by the Silke 

 stream, a tributary of the Brent. This area has hitlierto been 

 supposed to consist almost entirely of London Clay, but the sections 

 have now shown that the brickearth, which in many respects 

 simulates the London Clay, is underlain by deposits which must 

 be classed as of Pleistocene age. 



The President then resumed the chair, and Mr. H. B. Woodward 

 called attention to a block of quartzite from Criccieth, in Carnarvon- 

 shire, which had been sent for exhibition by Mr. G- J. Day. The 

 rock contained a band of disrupted clayey material which presented 

 on the surface of the block a rude resemblance to hieroglyphics. He 

 thought that the curious structure had been produced on a seashore 

 bounded by clay cliffs, where a film of mud had been spread over 

 the sands; and that the mud had dried and curled up before other 

 layers of sand had been accumulated on the top of it. Similar 

 phenomena might be produced at the present day on the Cromer 

 coast, where thin films of mud were in places spread over the sands 

 of the seashore. It had been suggested that the appearances in the 

 Criccieth stone might have been produced in the original deposit 

 during the irregular solidification of the sand and its included layer 

 of mud. The rock itself was regarded by the President as probably 

 derived from the Harlech Grits, in which he had observed somewhat 

 similar features. 



Mr. Bauerman, as one of the three Delegates appointed by the 

 Council on behalf of the Society to attend the recent International 

 Geological Congress, held at St. Petersburg, gave a short account of 

 the work of the Congress, dwelling more particularly on the 

 excursion to the Ural Mountains, in which he had taken part. 



The following communication was read : — 

 ■ "A Contribution to the Palteontology of the Decapod Crustacea 

 of England." By the late James Carter, F.R.C.S., F.G.S. (Com- 

 municated by Professor T. McKenny Hughes, M.A., F.R.S., F.G.S.) 



This paper deals mainly with the Brachyura. The author 

 describes several new species, belonging to the genera Nephrops, 

 Gebia, Homolopsis, Baniiia, MiUirdcia, Neptunvs, Actceposis, and 

 Goniocypoda. The genera Gebia, Banina, and Neptanus have not 

 been previously recorded from British rocks. Diaulax is for the 

 first time identified from the Tertiary strata — a single specimen 

 having been found in the Middle Headon. Platypodia Oweiii, Bell, 

 is now referred to the genus Diaulax ; and Palceocorystes Broderipi, 

 Bell, to the genus Eucorystes. 



As a result of the careful study of large series of specimens in 

 various collections, the author is able to give much additional 

 information concerning the morphology of several species. 



