Dudley and Midland Geological Society. 87 



The occurrence of this crustacean in a perfect condition is extremely 

 rare. 



Mr. James Bennie exhibited a fossil fruit — Trigonocarpum — and 

 pieces of carbonised wood from a truly marine shale in Shiels 

 Quarry, East Kilbride. He also exhibited a series of pyritized twigs 

 from the marine shales of Lickprivick, East Kilbride. 



The Chairman presented and explained a map of Great Britain, 

 which he had prepared at the request of the Eoyal Coal Commission, 

 to illustrate his views regarding the extent and depth to which the 

 coal-fields of England stretch beneath the Mesozoic formations. The 

 map showed that while there is a large area in Cheshire, Stafford- 

 shire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Notts, and Yorkshire formed of 

 Triassic and Permian rocks overlying the coal, yet that this mineral 

 does not extend under the eastern and southern counties of England, 

 which are considered to be formed of newer formations resting on 

 rocks of older age than the Coal-measures. The map is to accompany 

 Mr. Hull's evidence when published in the " Blue book." 



A communication was read from Mr. Alexander Currie, one of the 

 members, on the recent discovery of ancient canoes near Bowling. 

 Mr. Currie gave an historical resume of the occurrence of ancient 

 canoes in the bed of the Clyde, and in lakes and marshes through- 

 out the other parts of the country. An account was then given of 

 the discovery by the writer of the canoes, which formed the special 

 object of his paper. Two of these he had exhumed from the bed of 

 the river near Dunglass. They were found lying abreast of each 

 other, embedded in tenacious clay, containing water- worn boulders, 

 overlain by a deposit of alluvial mud. The longer of the two con- 

 sists of a rough undressed tree, 23^ feet in length, and 11 feet in 

 mean girth, the inside being beautifully hollowed out. The lesser 

 canoe measures 13 feet in length, 3 feet in width, and is shaped like 

 the modern fishing cobble, with square stern. The third canoe had 

 been found opposite Dumbuck, by parties in Dumbarton, from whom 

 it had passed into the possession of the writer. Like the last, it is 

 formed out of a dressed oaken log, and measures 23 feet in length 

 and 31 inches in breadth, its depth not being ascertainable owing to 

 its sides being in an imperfect state. The remaining portion of the 

 paper contained his speculation as to the people by whom these 

 relics were fashioned, and the probable time which had elapsed since 

 they became entombed in the river-silt. J. A. 



Dudley and Midland Geological Society. — This Society held 

 the first of the series of winter meetings, in the Museum, on Fi-iday, 

 the 27th November. The chair was taken by H. Beckett, Esq., 

 F.G.S. Mr. Hollier exhibited the Trilobite from the Dudley Lime- 

 stone, described by Mr. H. Woodward in the Geological Magazine, 

 for November, as Calymene ceratopliihalma, having all the charac- 

 teristics of the well-known Cahjmene BlumenbacMi, but with eyes 

 placed on the end of long peduncles. This curious specimen gave 

 rise to an animated discussion, in which all the speakers expressed 

 themselves as dissenting from Mr. Woodward's views ; but whether 



