240. Miscellaneous — Ohituary, Prof. Phillips. 



but that does not prevent marine action having previously taken a 

 part in excavating them. Marine and meteoric denudations may 

 have formed them at the first, but marine action built the bar across 

 them, vi^hile marine and meteoric action is now filling them up, 

 sometimes one and sometimes the other being the chief worker. 



Gr. H. KiNAHAN. 



DVCIS CEXiXj^^IsriEOTJS. 

 Discovery of a Coal Seam at Sandwell Park. — A coal 

 seam, two and a half feet thick, was lately struck in the Sand- 

 well Park trial sinking, West Bromwich, at a depth of 380 

 yards, the seam " dipping " six inches per yard. Several mining 

 engineers of great experience have visited the colliery, and pro- 

 nounce the seam to be " brooch coal," in which case there can be 

 little doubt that the thick coal measure is not far distant. The dis- 

 covery has caused a good deal of excitement in the district, and an 

 important advance in the value of the shares has already been 

 established. Subsequently another seam known as the " Herring- 

 coal " was reached, and the last reports state that they are still 

 sinking in splendid Coal-ground. 



PROFESSOE PHILLIPS, 

 BoBN 25th Dec. 1800. Died 24:Th April, 1874. 

 The sad intelligence has just reached us of the loss of one of 

 England's most eminent geologists, and, to very many amongst 

 us, of a most dear and valued friend. Prof. Phillips's death 

 was the result of an accident. On the 23rd April he had been 

 dining at All Souls' College, and was retui-ning, accompanied 

 by the Principal of Jesus, when, in crossing the top of a stair- 

 case, his foot unhappily slipped, and he fell headlong down a 

 flight of stone stairs. Paralysis and unconsciousness came on 

 instantly, and about one o'clock on the 24th he expired. He 

 was just 73 years of age. 



Left an orphan at eight years of age to the care of his uncle 

 William Smith, well known as "the father of English Geology," 

 he was, as one may say, " to the Jiammer born." His connexion 

 with the Yorkshire Philosophical Society dates back to 1826, 

 and with the British Association from its establishment in 

 1831 ; indeed " he was the life and soul of its annual reunions." 

 He presided over his favourite Geological Section last year at 

 Bradford in his usual happy and delightful manner. 



His connexion with Oxford dates back to 1853. He has 

 long outlived Buckland, De la Beche, Faraday, and Murchison, 

 and has survived Sedgwick little more than a year. Few men 

 have been more highly esteemed in life or will be more sin- 

 cerely regretted in death than John Phillips.^ 



1 See Biographical Notice of Prof. Phillips (with a Portrait), Geol. Mag. 1870, 

 Vol. VII. p. 301. 



