Corresjjondence — Itev. T. G. Bonney. 39 



river, or east and west. On the northern side of this cutting, nearest 

 the river, the bed is several feet in thickness ; but on the other side 

 it thins out, and finally disappears as w^e recede from the shore. In 

 the other direction, from east to west, it is seen to abut suddenly 

 against the Boulder-clay, and thus occupies a hollow of no great 

 extent, in which, however, an immense number and variety of marine 

 organisms are crowded together, forming one of the richest beds of 

 such clay yet discovered on our western coast. At the same time, 

 there was reason to doubt whether the deposit is now found in its 

 natural position, or has not been dug out from some neighbouring 

 part of the shore, and laid down to improve and level the ground, 

 many years ago, in forming the policies where the excavation is 

 being made. On this point, however, he would not express a 

 decided opinion, and other members who had visited the spot were 

 not unanimous regarding it. 



Mr. Young said the section of Boulder-clay and the shell-bed 

 referred to were of great interest, and he hoped would receive a 

 careful examination from the members of the Society. He alluded 

 to the number of large boulders, found principally in the upper 

 portion of the deposit, the majority being sandstone of local origin, 

 and the remainder granite, trap, and schist, from more distant 

 localities. Many of these boulders were beautifully smoothed and 

 striated by the action of ice. With regard to the puzzling features 

 presented by the shell-clay — the way in which the shells are huddled 

 together, the absence of any distinct stratification in it, and the 

 manner in which it abuts suddenly against the Boulder-clay on 

 either hand — these circumstances, together with its being of a looser 

 texture, or less firmly compacted than most of the Arctic shell-beds 

 found on our coast, undoubtedly suggest that it has been disturbed 

 and removed. On the other hand, he read a note from Mr. David 

 Eobertson, whose opinion in such matters was entitled to very great 

 weight, pointing out that a thin bed of fine clay, in which marine 

 organisms occur, extends continuously between the shell-bed and the 

 underlying Boulder-clay — which seems opposed to the supposition of 

 the shell-clay having been laid down on an old land surface. Apart 

 from this point (Mr. Young added), the deposit is worthy of attention 

 as being exceedingly rich iu organic remains, about 140 species 

 having been already obtained from it, including some rare and many 

 well-known Arctic forms. 



An arranged series of these shells, polyzoa, etc., was exhibited by 

 Mr. Young and Mr. Glen. Several other members also remarked on 

 the deposit, and arrangements were made to revisit the locality at an 

 early date. 



coi2,i?,Es:poi^rx):H]3:srcjE. 



On Supposed P^oz;45'-burrows in Milleks Dale, near Buxton, 



Derbyshire. 



Sir, — From a letter in the Geological Magazine (Vol. VII., 

 p. 586), I perceive that Mr. Edwin Brown, F.G.S., was unable to find 



