Notices of Memoirs — Dr. A. Gaudry's Address. 75 



which, deposited the Lower Boulder-clay of this region, must there- 

 fore have been from north to south; but in the Cowdon valley there 

 is evidence of a movement in the opposite direction. The knob of 

 trap-rock, against which the .Bos-bearing beds have been deposited, 

 is glaciated doion ( i.e. north-east) , and not wp the valley as stated in 

 my note. An older and much fainter set of striee (the direction of 

 which is not apparent, but may either be up or down the valley) 

 are nearly obliterated by the later set ; while on the north side of 

 the valley above the railway cutting, and quite close to Crofthead, 

 the rocks are glaciated up the valley or towards the south-west. 

 Similar appearances have been noted elsewhere, showing that the 

 ice-streams, from the various centres of outflow sometimes prevailed 

 the one against the other. 



In concluding this short note it may be remarked that the inter- 

 calated deposits of sand, gravel, and clay, so commonly met with in 

 the Lower Boulder-clay, are of much greater extent sometimes 

 than is generally known. During the progress of the Greological 

 Survey in Scotland we have collected many data bearing upon this 

 point, which we expect to publish ere long. Meanwhile, it is to be 

 hoped that local geologists will lose no opportunity of searching the 

 intercalated beds of the Boulder-clay, for the discovery of Bos 

 jprimigenius in this position renders it not improbable that there 

 may be other mammalian remains waiting to be disinterred. 



ZsTOTIOIBS OIP DVCEHVCOII^S. 



L Pal^iontologioal Address. By Dr. Albeet GtAddrt. 



[Faculte des Science. Cours annexe de Paleontologie. Leejon d'ouverture. — Extrait 

 de la Eeyue des Cours Scientifiques. Paris, 1868.] 



APTEE a few introductory remarks. Dr. Gaudry gives a brief 

 sketch of the history of palgeontology. The notions respecting 

 fossil remains were very vague, until G-eorge Cuvier asserted that in 

 order to arrive at a definite opinion on the subject, it was necessary 

 to study living animals. From that time palasontology has steadily 

 progressed. Between 1823 and 1867, so M. D'Archiac relates, 

 5,852 plates of fossils were published; — the figures sufficiently 

 express the advance of the science. Cuvier was, above all others, the 

 founder of Palseontological Science, and well may France be proud 

 of him. 



" The beings of geologic times," says Dr. Gaudry, " present a mar- 

 vellous diversity, but more marvellous still is the unity which is 

 concealed under this diversity." 



In regard to the interesting question of the origin of species — 

 does each species represent a production independent of that which 

 has preceded or followed it? or were they descended from beings 

 found in the more ancient geological epochs ? — Dr. Gaudry 's opinion 

 may be surmised from his again asking '"' Is it not the history of 

 a slow evolution which, harmonious in all its phases, has been going 

 on since the first days of the world ?" 



