Correspondence — II . B. Woodward. 573 



Mr. Blanford inquired whether the ancient traps are not distinct in their origin 

 from true lavas. In India large districts are formed of volcanic rocks much more 

 recent than those of Wales, and probably of different composition. These Indian 

 flows are of great horizontal extent, but of small thickness. 



Mr. Forbes stated that the Indian rocks in question, which he had examined, 

 were not distinct from our basalts in composition and structure, which showed that 

 they were not poured out under water. 



Mr. Ward replied as follows : — To Mr. Rutley ; that the Jlow described as 

 occurring in some of the altered ash-rocks was not a decided crystalline flow, but 

 one merely of the finer ashy material around the larger fragments, and frequently 

 along the bedding planes. To Mr. Forbes and Mr. Koch ; that the analyses 

 brought forward had been made from specimens carefully collected in the field, 

 and might be considered as representing the average chemical composition ; the 

 author used the word ash as denoting all material shot out from a volcano ; in this 

 case the ashes were mostly subaerial. To Mr. Bonney ; that although the analyses 

 of the Cumberland lavas were very similar to those of porphyrites, the microscopic 

 structure of the latter, as described by Zirkel, did not at all correspond with that 

 of the Lake-district rocks. To Mr. Blanford ; that the Cumberland contempo- 

 raneous traps were as much entitled to the name of lavas as any modern 

 Vesuvian flow. 



coias-Esipon^iDiBn^oiE. 



GLACIATION IN WEST SOMERSET. 



SiE, — A few days ago, while waiting for a train at Taunton station, 

 I took the opportunity of examining some of the specimens of 

 glaciated sandstone, described by Mr. Lucy, in the GtEOLogical, 

 Magazine for June, page 256, and which he has deposited in the 

 Museum of the Somersetshire Archaeological Society. The appear- 

 ances presented by them are certainly unlike any form of striation 

 save that attributed to glacial action. My reason, however, for 

 writing this is merely to note what Mr. Lucy has omitted to explain, 

 and that is, that the rock striated is not the New Ked Sandstone, 

 which does occur near Porlock, but the so-called Devonian sandstone, 

 and which is, as the late Mr. Jukes considered, identical with true 

 Old Eed Sandstone. Hokace B. Woodwakd. 



Newton Abbot, 2nd Oct., 1874. 



EXISTENCE OF CARBONIFEEOUS EOOKS IN THE HIGHLANDS 

 OF SCOTLAND. 



Sir, — It will probably interest many of the readers of the Geo- 

 logical Magazine, to be informed that rocks of Carboniferous age 

 exist in the northern side of the great Grampian axis of the High- 

 lands. "While engaged in prosecuting my studies among the Secondary 

 Eocks of Scotland, during the past summer, I found, in the district 

 of Morven, a very interesting patch of strata of sandstone, shale, and 

 coal, yielding the remains of a number of common Carboniferous 

 plants. The true character of these plant-remains was confirmed by 

 an examination of some of the specimens, which Sir Charles Bunbury 

 was so kind as to make. 



Although this patch of rocks, occurring in so unexpected a locality, 

 is of very small extent, yet it is of very great interest to geologists, 

 for the following reasons. 



First.-— li supplies evidence of the former existence of Carbon- 



