Geological Society of London. 329 



of translation," resulting from a sudden subsidence of the island 

 below the sea at a very recent geological period, of too short a dura- 

 tion, however, to allow of any purely marine deposit being formed. 



Captain Spratt discussed the evidence, afforded by soundings, of 

 the former connexion of Malta with Europe and Africa, by land that 

 must have served as a means of migration to the cave-fauna. The 

 submerged lands are indicated by the " Adventure Bank," between 

 Tunis and Sicily ; and by the " Medina Bank," a ridge connecting 

 the south-east of Malta with Tripoli. An upheaval of about 200 

 fathoms would render both banks dry, with the exception of one or 

 two narrow channels, which would not impede the larger animals 

 from passing from one continent to the other at the seasonable 

 times for migration. 



2. " On the Lower Lias of the North-east of Ireland." By Kalph 

 Tate, Esq., A.L.S., F.G.S. 



The author described the Lias of Ireland as consisting of (1) the 

 Avicula-contorta series, including a well-developed zone of Avicula 

 contorta and the White Lias ; (2) the Lower Lias, embracing the 

 equivalents to the zone of Ammonites planorhis, A. angulatus, and 

 A. BucMandi of Great Britian ; and a fourth zone (that of Belem- 

 nites acutus), representing that portion of the Lower Lias superior 

 to the zone of Ammonites BucMandi. 



Mr. Tate stated that the principal portion of the Lias belongs to 

 the zone of Avicula contorta, and that the greater portion of the 

 Lower Lias is comprised in the zone of Ammonites angulatus. The 

 remarkable and isolated mass of metamorphosed Lias at Portrush 

 was referred to the " Planorbis series." 



3. " On the fossiliferous development of the zone of Ammonities 

 angulatus in Great Britain." By Ealph Tate, Esq., A.L.S., F.G.S. 



In this paper the author recorded the discovery of a fauna 

 hitherto imperfectly known in this country, characterizing beds 

 below the Limestone-series of the Lower Lias. It is exceedingly 

 rich in fossils : Cephalopoda are few in number (about 8 species) ; 

 Gasteropoda are various, numerous and characteristic, there being 

 about 50 species, the majority of which are new to Great Britain ; 

 the Corals are abundant and peculiar. 



The zone of Ammonites angidatus was stated to occur at various 

 places in Ireland ; at Marton, Lincolnshire ; in Warwickshire ; in 

 North Gloucestershire ; at Brocastle and Sutton, in Glamorganshire ; 

 and in Dorsetshire. 



The author further communicated the results of a critical exami- 

 nation of the Sutton stone fossils — which are (1) that the majority 

 of the species are well-known Liassic forms of the continent, and 

 occur in other parts of Great Britain ; (2) that they incompletely 

 represent the fauna of the zone of Ammonites angulatus; and (3) 

 that the Sutton Stone is lithologically and palasontologically identical 

 with the " Calcaire de Valogne," the stratigraphical relations of 

 of which have been well determined. 



4. •■' On the Ehsetic Beds near Gainsborough." By F. M. Burton, 

 Esq., F.G.S. 



