Geological Society of London. 189 



Bees Sandstone and the overlying Gypseous Shales in the west, 

 there is evidence of a decided unconformity between the St. Bees 

 and Kirkiinton Sandstones in the east. In Carwinley Burn (for 

 example), M'hich runs into the Esk at Netherby, only from 200 to 

 300 feet of St. Bees stone was seen below the outcrop of the 

 Kirkiinton, instead of the 1000 to 1500 feet which probably exist 

 about Brampton on the one hand and in Dumfriesshire on the other. 

 Yet Carwinley Barn affords an almost continuous series of sections, 

 from the (non-faulted) Permian-Carboniferous junction to some 

 distance above the outcrop of the Kirkiinton Sandstone. As, in 

 addition, the shales underlining the St. Bees Sandstone are gypseous, 

 both near Carlisle and at Barrowmouth, close to St. Bees Head, the 

 author classed the (Upper) Gypseous Shales as Permian, and the 

 Kirkiinton Sandstone as Bunter. Kesting unconformabl}^ on the 

 Kirkiinton Sandstone, in the district between Carlisle and Kirkiinton, 

 are the Marls seen on the Eden, between Stanwix and Beaumont, 

 and on the Line between Westlinton and Cliff Bridge, Kirkiinton. 

 Their unconformity is shown by the fact that on the Line they rest 

 on the lower, or red, beds, and between Stanwix and Beaumont on 

 the upper, or white, beds of the Kirkiinton Sandstone. The Marls 

 have therefore been classed as Keuper. So far as the evidence goes, 

 they appear to be very thin and to extend but a very small distance 

 south of the Eden. Lastly, the Lias appeared to the author to be 

 unconformable to all the beds below, and to rest partly on the 

 Gypseous Shales, partly on the Kirkiinton Sandstone, and partly 

 on the Keuper Marls. Of the existence of Rhgetic beds there was 

 no evidence, all fossils hitherto found having been determined by 

 Mr. Etheridge (our President) to be Lower-Lias forms. But the 

 Lias-sections are so small and few in number, and the ground so 

 persistently drift- covered, that only a boring could settle the question. 



3, " On Astroconia Granti, a new Lyssakine Hexactinellid from 

 the Silurian Formation of Canada." By Prof. W. J. Sollas, M.A., 

 E.G.S. 



This paper contained a description of a new fossil Hexactinellid 

 sponge from the Niagara chert beds of Hamilton, Ontario. It is 

 the second oldest known example of the Lyssakina. Some remarks 

 were added on the mineral state of the spicules and their association 

 with chert. The author proposed for it the name of Astroconia 

 Granti, the former in allusion to the peculiarly spinose character of 

 rays of the sexradiate spicules. The anchoring spicules were de- 

 scribed as consisting of a straight shaft with four recurved rays, 

 each having a small bifid spine near the base on the outer surface. 



in.— March 9, 1881.— Robert Etheridge, Esq., F.R.S., President, 

 in the Chair. — The following communications were read : — 



1. " Description of Parts of the Skeleton of an Anomodont Eeptile 

 {Platypodosaurns rohtistus, Ow.). — Part II. The Pelvis." By Prof. 

 Owen, C.B., F.K.S., F.G.S., etc. 



In this paper the author described the remains of the pelvis of 



