170 Reports and Proceedings. 



through hy streams. All these changes have occurred during what, 

 geologically, must be called the existing period, as the vegetable 

 remains in the Peat, and in the Clay, seem to be all referable to 

 existing species. 



The following specimens were exhibited : 



1. The Duke of Argyll exhibited a fossil in a rolled pebble, found 

 near Inverary. It is the first trace of an organism which had yet 

 been discovered in any part of the Mica-Slate series of the interior 

 of Argyllshire. All the transported matter of the district appeared 

 to belong to the surrounding hills. This pebble agreed in litholo- 

 gieal character with some beds in the neighbourhood. The fossU, 

 though a fragment, was beautifully distinct, and had been pro- 

 nounced by palseontologists to belong to the Silurian Fauna. So 

 far, therefore, the discovery of this fossil seemed to confirm Sir 

 Eoderick Murchison's determination of the geological horizon of the 

 Argyllshire Mica-slates and Quartzites. 



2. Bones of the Dodo, from Mauritius ; exhibited by S. Flower, 

 Esq. 



Edinburgh G-eological Society. — The second ordinary meeting 

 of this Society for the winter session was held on Thursday evening, 

 the 20th December, in 5, St. Andrew Square, Mr. David Page, 

 F.E.S.E., F.G.S., President, in the chair. The following communi- 

 cations were then made to the Society : — 



1. "On the Occurrence of a Submerged Forest at West Hartlepool, 

 and its Eelation to Similar Phenomena along the Eastern Shores of 

 the British Islands," by the President, who exhibited specimens of 

 the peat which he had found at Hartlepool, containing wing-cases 

 of beetles, etc. 



2. Mr. James Haswell, M.A., exhibited and described a very ex- 

 tensive and valuable collection of Carboniferous fossils, chiefly from 

 the coal-fields of Lanarkshire, belonging to Mr. Hunter, which were 

 generally admired. 



3. "On the Occurrence of Fossils in the Old Eed Sandstones 

 of Westmoreland," by Mr. Henry A. Nicholson, B. Sc. — The 

 author gave a brief description of the characters of the Old Eed 

 Sandstone of Cumberland and Westmoreland. The series here was 

 shown to be composed of conglomerates, sandstones, and sandy 

 shales, and Mr. Nicholson had recently discovered two beds 

 containing well-preserved plant remains. The entire forma- 

 tion, as developed in the North of England, had until now been 

 believed to be devoid of organic remains : and it was pointed out 

 that the character of these fossils would lead to the conclusion that 

 the Old Eed of Westmoreland and Cumberland was of the age of 

 the Upper Old Eed Sandstone, a determination which previously 

 rested on stratigraphical evidence alone. The plant remains con- 

 sisted of fluted stems allied probably to Knorria, stems apparently- 

 referable to Filicites linearis, and ferns of the genera Sphenopteris 

 and Pecopteris. 



4. Notice of the genus Slimonia, recently discovered in the 



