422 Reports and Proceedings — 



fined basin, similar to the Caspian, Dead Sea, or Great Salt Lake of 

 the present day. During the Triassic period the previous marine 

 surface appears to have become, in part at least, terrestrial or fresh- 

 water. At a much later period the Permian rocks, with others of 

 subsequent formation, were denuded extensively and reduced to the 

 state in which they now occur. The Permian series of the neigh- 

 bourhood of Leeds were then specially referred to. The Lower New 

 Eed Sandstone of South Yorkshire (the Pomfret Eock of Smith) 

 does not appear to be pi'esent, at all events in a conspicuous state, in 

 this district. The so-called Lower New Eed Sandstone of Plumpton 

 is undoubtedly of Carboniferous age. The Upper and Lower 

 Magnesian Limestone are well displayed. Various sections of these 

 rocks at Eigton, East Keswick, Collingham, Whin Moor, and Knares- 

 borough, were described in the paper. Eemarks on the colour of the 

 soil produced by underlying Permian rocks, on the few fossils which 

 have occurred at Garforth and Cold Hill, near Sherburn, and on the 

 superficial drift, concluded the paper. 



II. — Geologists' Association. 



ExcuKSiON TO Hatfield, June 28th. — Director: J. Logan Lobley, 

 Esq., F.G.S. After passing through the fine old park of Hatfield, 

 which had been courteously thrown open by the Marquis of Salis- 

 hurj, and so traversing for a mile the extreme northern edge of the 

 London Tertiary Basin, the party examined the interesting section 

 on the eastern boundary of the park. This exposure shows the 

 Woolwich and Eeading beds lying on the Chalk, and capped by the 

 " Basement bed " of the London Clay. The similarities and dif- 

 ferences between this and other sections showing Tertiary beds 

 above the Chalk having been pointed out, the members, by a north- 

 western route, proceeded to the cutting on the railway north of 

 Hatfield, where a section -nearly half a mile in length exposes the 

 Middle Glacial sands and gravels with a thin overlying sheet of 

 Boulder-clay forming the subsoil of the land. From this place to 

 Hatfield all the railway sections were observed, and the members 

 afterwards returned to London. 



ExcuEsiON to Plumsted and Crossness, July 5th. — Directors : 

 Mr. Henry Walker, F.G.S., and Mr. F. E. Houghton. A walk 

 over the old river-bed, now the Plumsted Marshes, brought the 

 visitors to the Crossness Works, where an excavation had been 

 made, that the members might see an exposure of the " Forest-bed " 

 and the overlying " Marsh Clay." From the recently opened exca- 

 vation numerous stools of small trees, chiefly yew and alder, were 

 lying around on the ground. Though these are quite soft, and may 

 be cut like cheese, yet the organic structure is beautifully preserved. 

 At the river-bank Mr. Walker and Mr. W. Whi taker, who were with 

 the party, briefly and generally described the river-valley, after 

 which the members proceeded through the great engine-house to the 

 school-room, where Mr. W. Whitaker delivered a lecture on the 

 Valley Deposits, aided by elaborate sections, which had been pre- 

 pared by Mr. Houghton. Mr, Whitaker considered the fault running 



