Reports and Proceedings. 91 
slate in this formation in old times, but were opened out some years 
ago by Mr. Montgomery, the proprietor, who brought skilled work- 
men over from Wales to quarry the slate and prepare it for use. A 
deep cutting, an embankment. and other works, have been made, but 
the quarries are not now worked. ‘The slate is close-grained, and 
very good in colour.—R. T. 
Tue Matvern Naturarists’ Firetp-ctus.— The Club met at 
Great Malvern on the 15th of June last, and started by rail for 
Ashehurch, where they arrived at noon, and were joined by the 
Rey. W. S. Symonds, the president, and a large party of friends. 
They then proceeded along the new line of railway to Evesham. 
Upon reaching Beckford, the whole party alighted to examine an 
excavation in the drift about ten feet deep. ‘The marine origin of 
this deposit was proved by Miss Holland, who discovered in it a 
specimen of Rissoa. ‘The president gave a description of this ancient 
sea-bed, which he considered to have been accumulated when the 
valley of the Severn was an arm of the sea and the Malvern and 
Bredon Hills only islands. In the cuttings along the line remains 
of Elephas primigenius, human bones, bone implements, Roman and 
later coins, have been turned up by the navvies. The members 
inspected other sections on the line, especially one beyond the 
Evesham terminus. The rest of the day was devoted to visiting 
the two churches and the old abbey at Evesham, dining at Becktor d, 
and the reading of a paper contributed by John Jones, Ksq., of 
Gloucester, upon some ancient deeds relating to property at Longdon, 
held by the corporation of Gloucester. 
‘The next meeting will take place at Ross on July 21st.—W.S.S. 
Briston Naturauists’ Socrery.—The first excursion of this 
Society for the season was held on the 17th June. The members 
of the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society had been 
invited to attend, and for the sake especially of these visitors the 
excursion of last September was repeated. The party, upwards of 
seventy in number, including several ladies, assembled at Hotwell- 
house, and proceeded along the course of the Port and Pier Railway 
as far as Shirehampton, in order to study the various geological 
sections laid bare by the cuttings, the interesting features of which 
were pointed out and descanted upon by the president, Mr. W. 
Sanders, F.R.S., and the hon. treasurer, Mr. W. W. Stoddart. From 
Hotwell House to the Black-rock the strata belong to the Car- 
boniferous series—the fossils in the Mountain-limestone, as well as 
the shales, a thin bed of coal, and the Millstone-grit, attracting much 
attention. At the Black-rock, a great fault, or displacement of 
strata, occurs, and the whole series begins again. Near the old 
shooting-ground of the Rifle Corps, the first indications of the 
Devonian, or Old-red-sandstone group, are shown by flakes of 
mica in the shales. In this field, also, the botanists and ento- 
mologists of the party obtained several specimens; and _ here 
Mr. Stoddart pointed out a small bone-bed, about three inches 
thick, which he had accidentally discovered on a former occa- 
sion, as well as some strata containing many fossil Entomostraca. 
