552 Reports and Proceedings— 
a consequence of the slow secular cooling of the earth, to look upon 
them as but an accidental step in the process of evolution of 
mountain-chains and continents. This view is certainly more attrac- 
tive; let us take care that its very grandeur does. not lead us to 
overlook minor, though perhaps insignificant, accompaniments, which 
may possibly be the result of external actions. 
CHARLES Davison. 
ee PORTS, AIN»D, 2 ROC AyD iG 
——>—_— 
GroLocicaL Society oF Lonpon. 
November 7, 1883.—J. W. Hulke, Esq., F.R.S., President, in 
the Chair.—The following communications were read :— 
1. “On the Geology of the South Devon Coast from Tor Cross to 
Hope Cove.” By Prof. T. G. Bonney, M.A., F.R.S., Sec. G.S. 
The author, after a brief reference to the literature of the subject, 
stated that the chief petrographical problem presented by this district 
was whether it afforded an example of a gradual transition from slaty 
to foliated rocks, or whether the two groups were perfectly distinct. 
He described the coast from Tor Cross round by the Start Point to 
Prawle Point, and thence for some distance up the estuary leading 
to Kingsbridge. Commencing again to the north of Salcombe, on 
the other shore of this inlet, he described the coast round by the 
Bolt Head and Bolt Tail to Hope Cove. These rocks, admittedly 
metamorphic, consist of a rather thick mass of a dark mica-schist, 
and of a somewhat variable chloritic schist, which also contains 
a good deal of epidote. In the lower part of this are some bands of 
a mica-schist not materially different from the upper mass. It is 
possible that there are two thick masses of mica-schist, one above 
and one below the chloritic schist; but, for reasons given, he inclined 
to the view that there was only one important mass, repeated by 
very sharp foldings. 
The junction between the admittedly metamorphic group and the 
slaty series at Hope Cove, as well as that north of Salcombe, is 
clearly a fault, and the rocks on either side of it differ materially. 
Between the Start and Tor Cross the author believes there is also 
a fault, running down a valley, and so concealed. On the north 
side of this the rocks, though greatly contorted and exhibiting such 
alterations as are usual in greatly compressed rocks, cannot properly 
be called foliated, while on the south side all are foliated. This 
division he places near Hallsands, about half a mile to the south of 
where it is laid down on the geological map. 
As a further proof of the distinctness of the two series, the anthor 
pointed out that there were clear indications that the foliated series 
had undergone great crumpling and folding after the process of 
foliation had been completed. Hence that it was long anterior to 
the great earth-movements which had affected the Paleozoic rocks 
of South Devon. He stated that the nature of these disturbances 
suggested that this district of South Devon had formed the flank of . 
a mountain-range of some elevation, which had lain to the south. Of 
