284 Reports and Proceedings. 
Mr. James Russell, of Chapelhall, near Airdrie, forwarded a set of 
specimens of the lately discovered Coal Reptiles from the Airdrie 
Blackbands, including Anthracosaurus Russelli (Huxley), and one 
or two jaws with teeth, not yet described. 
The Chairman congratulated the Society on the interest and 
value of the specimens exhibited. The discovery of Camarophoria 
globulina by Mr. Thomson is of importance as a connecting link 
between the Carboniferous and Permian strata. The existence of 
Chitons in paleozoic strata a few years ago was dogmatically denied; 
the discovery of at least three species in the Scotch Coal-field is a 
rebuke to all dogmatic limitation of the range of special forms. More 
remarkable still are the wonderful discoveries of Reptilian remains in 
Carboniferous strata, and especially those made by Mr. Russell. The 
Reptiles of that age now known were not poor, small, feebly developed 
creatures, but powerful and highly organized. Within a few years 
the range in time of Reptiles has thus been extended from the Per- 
mian downwards—a lesson to geologists that they are only opening 
the first page of the book of nature; and that it is impossible to 
generalize, with negative evidence, upon the range in time of any 
class of Vertebrata. 
The Chairman exhibited some flint implements, found on the 
Chalk Downs of Sussex, and a suite of Liassic fossils from Skye, 
containing thirteen species not given in previous lists,* namely :— 
Serpula, sp. Pteroperna Pabbaensis, Wright, 
Terebratula numismalis. MS. 
Rhynchonella variabilis. Cardinia Listeri. 
Spiriferina Walcottii. Pleurotomaria acuticosta. 
Pecten acuticosta. Belemnites clavatus. 
P. corneus. Ammonites semicostatus. 
P. subleevis. Am. multicostatus. 
A paper was read by Dr. Bryce, ‘On the Age of Certain Trap- 
rocks in the Neighbourhood of Glasgow.’ After some introductory 
observations on the relative and absolute age of rocks, and the few 
points of contact yet obtained between geology and human history, 
the mode of determining the age of any bed in relation to those 
adjoining was pointed out, both in the case of the Sedimentary and 
the Igneous formations, and the sources of error to students briefly 
indicated. The paper now submitted had chiefly in view the age of 
the trap-rocks of the Campsie district. Dr. Bryce had long regarded 
these as having been erupted after the Coal-period, and had described 
them as of that age. His attention was lately recalled to the subject 
by finding that the Geologists of the Survey had laid these rocks 
down upon their maps as of Devonian age,—as erupted and spread 
over the Old Red Sandstone of the Campsie Fells, before the deposit 
of the Coal-series against their southern sides. The arguments were 
then brought forward on which this view is controverted. It was 
shown that igneous rocks covering the beds known as the Ballagan 
series, which are of intermediate age, extend continuously in un- 
* Quart. Journ. Geol. Soe., vol. xiv. p. 26. 
