234 Reports and Proceedings — Geological Society of London. 



month, at the city of Victoria in 1884, the author had leisure for the 

 investigation of the geological features of the district, but he expressed 

 his regret that, at the time, he was unacquainted with the publications 

 of Mr. Bauennan and Dr. Dawson on the subject. 



The most important shell-beds were disclosed in an excavation for 

 a dry dock at Esquimault, V.I. Here a fissure in an igneous rock 

 had been filled in by glacial beds. Shells were most numerous on 

 the north side of the dock in Boulder-clay, associated with irregular 

 sandy seams, the whole being softer than the general mass. The 

 containing rock was not glaciated at this point. Leda, JYucula, 

 Cardium, Tellina, Mya, and Saxicava are the principal genera. 



There was great difference in the state of preservation according to 

 position ; the shells below the water-line being remarkably fresh, 

 while acidulous waters, engendered by vegetable decay, had attacked 

 the upper portions. 



The author concludes that the whole mass of drift, including the 

 shells, had been pushed up by ice in its passage southwards. The 

 general mode of occurrence was very similar to that at Bridlington. 

 He further observed that the rocks were not striated in the first 

 instance by these shelly clays, but he believed the glaciation to have 

 taken place through the action of harder substances, and that after- 

 wards a milder term set in, when an arctic fauna established itself in 

 the neighbourhood, after which fresh ice pushed the sea-bottom along 

 with other accumulations into its present position. 



The shell-beds in the Fraser Valley are about 100 feet above sea- 

 level. Three sections of glacial beds were given. The stratified 

 clay in which the shells were found contains no pebbles, and, though 

 somewhat disturbed, has evidently been deposited where it now 

 occurs. 



2. "On a Lower Jaw of Maclmrodus from the 'Forest-Bed,' 

 Kessingland." By James Backhouse, Esq., F.Gr.S. 



The author believed that hitherto no example of a lower jaw of 

 MacJicerodus has been met with in this country ; he consequently 

 gave a detailed description and measurements of a right mandibular 

 ramus obtained by him from the Forest-bed at Kessingland, in Suffolk. 

 Owing to the imperfect condition of the incisors and canines, it was 

 impossible to say whether these teeth were serrulated or not, and 

 consequently it was uncertain whether the bone belonged to 

 Machcerodus cultridens or M. latidens. 



3. "A Contribution to the History of the Cetacea of the Norfolk 

 1 Forest-Bed.' " By E. Tulley Newton, Esq., F.O.S. 



This paper was principally devoted to the description of two fossil 

 specimens. The first of these was a tooth, shown by external and 

 microscopical characters to have belonged in all probability to the 

 Sperm-whale, Physeter macrocephalus. The specimen was obtained 

 by Mr. Clement Keid, at Sidestrand. The second fossil, also from 

 Sidestrand, and now in the possession of Mr. James Backhouse, con- 

 sisted of the right half of the seven anchylosed cervical vertebras of 

 a species of Balcena. The specific determination was less certain in 

 this case ; but the form approached most nearly to that of B. biscay- 



