Geological Society of London. 225 



of these organisms, it must be borne in mind that we were able to deal only with the 

 hard parts. He entered at some length into the character and structure of 

 Graptolites. 



Dr. Duncan regarded Graptolites as being one of the most uncertain things in 

 nature, to judge from the descriptions published of them. They were sometimes 

 described partly by botanical terms and partly by hydro-zoological. The author had 

 confused in his mind the meaning of the terms embryo and young, and had more- 

 over brought needless difficulties into the case by assuming what appeared to be im- 

 possible affinities. 



Mr. Hughes pointed out that the double-celled form of Graptolites did not occur 

 in the Coniston Flags proper. 



III. April 14tli, 1869. Papers read : — 1. " On the Coal-mines at 

 Kaianoma, in the Island of Yezo." By F. 0. Adams, Esq., Hon. 

 Secretary of Legation in Japan. Communicated by the Secretary 

 of State for Foreign Affairs. 



The writer states that the works at Kaianoma have made con- 

 siderable progress since they were reported upon by Mr. Mitford last 

 year.^ There are four seams of coal, each about 7 feet thick, from 

 50 to 100 feet apart. A tunnel has been driven through one of the 

 seams for a distance of between 150 and 250 feet, and at an elevation 

 of 430 feet above the sea. From this the coal obtained is carried 

 down to the shore on the backs of men, mules, and ponies. The 

 writer adds that there is abundance of coal " of the cannel de- 

 scription." 



2. " On a peculiarity of the Brendon-Hills Spathose Ore-veins." 

 By M. Morgans, Esq. Communicated by Warington W. Smyth, Esq., 

 F.E.S., F.G.S. 



The author described the Brendon-Hills as consisting of a Devo- 

 nian slate, dipping S. by E. and N. by W. on the two sides of the 

 axis of elevation. The cleavage laminae dip S. by W. at an angle of 

 80°, and the cleavage-strike forms only a slight angle with that of 

 the beds, which, however, is sometimes irregular. Yeins of spathose 

 iron-ore, very rich in manganese, occur in the slate ; and the general 

 dip of these appear to coincide with that of the cleavage-planes. 

 The veins consist of thin " tracks " of softened clay-slate and quartz, 

 with larger or smaller pockets of productive ore. These metalli- 

 ferous portions do not descend parallel to the line of their dip, but 

 slope more or less, usually to the west. The author stated that the 

 veins have been segregated from the adjoining clay-slate, the unpro- 

 ductive portions of them occurring where the conterminous strata 

 were not impregnated with sufficient ferruginous matter to produce 

 a lode of iron ore ; the slope of each productive part, called " end- 

 slant" by the author, is determined by the line of intersection of 

 the plane of the vein with the boundaries of the ferruginous portions 

 of the beds. 



Discussion. — Mr. Etheridge thought that the great iron lodes of this district lay in 

 the great faults which traverse the country, and in which there had been considerable 

 downthrow to the North. In most cases in the Bristol district the lodes seem to have 

 been formed at the bottom of the sea during the New Red Sandstone period by infil- 

 tration of salts of iron into the faults. 



3. "On the Salt Mines of St. Domingo." By F. Euschhaupt. 

 Communicated by Sir E. I. Murchison, Bart., V.P.G.S. 

 ' See Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xxiv. p. 511, 



VOL. VI.— NO. LIX. 15 



