Geologists' Association. 233 



supported their arguments by newly-prepared lists of the Molluscan 

 and other remains, collected by themselves. Professor Morris, Messrs. 

 Woodward, Lobley, Leighton, Evans, etc., took part in the discus- 

 sion which followed the reading of Messrs. Bell's paper. — [This paper 

 will probably be reprinted in full in the Geological Magazine for 

 June next.] 



2. The next paper read was by Professor Tennant, F.G.S., etc., 

 " On South African Diamonds," illustrated by a large series of rough 

 and polished diamonds from South Africa, Brazil, etc. In the dis- 

 cussion which followed Professor Morris, the Eev. Thos. Wiltshire, 

 and Mr. Eabone took part. Mr. Eabone has just returned from the 

 Diamond Fields, and gave an account of the operations now in pro- 

 gress. The district in which Diamonds occur is perhaps 20,000 

 square miles in extent, and not fewer than 13,000 persons are en- 

 gaged in searching for these gems at the present time. 



Visit of the Geologists' Association to Cambridge. — On Monday, 

 the 10th of April last, a considerable number of the members of the 

 Geologists' Association visited Cambridge for the purpose of in- 

 specting the Woodwardian Museum and the exposures of Cretaceous 

 strata in the neighbourhood. On arriving at Cambridge the party 

 proceeded at once to the Woodwardian Museum, where they were 

 met by the Eev. Dr. Cookson, Master of St. Peter's College, the 

 Eev. Thos. Wiltshire, M.A., President of the Association, Prof. Morris, 

 the Eev. T. G. Bonney, M.A., Fellow of St. John's College, the 

 Eev. Osmond Fisher, M.A., and Mr. Harry Seeley, F.G.S. as repre- 

 sentative of the venerable Professor Sedgwick, who, much to his 

 regret, was prevented being present. The fine collection of fossil 

 MoUusca from the district was ably described by Mr. Bonney, and 

 the Eeptilian remains were the subject of an interesting discourse by 

 Mr. Seeley, after which Professor Morris, in the Geological Lecture 

 Theatre, delivered an address on the Geology of the country around 

 Cambridge, which was listened to with great attention and interest 

 by a large audience. The afternoon was devoted to a visit to the 

 Coprolite workings and other excavations at Barnwell. Proceeding 

 along the banks of the Cam a fine section of Pleistocene deposits, 

 yielding mammalian remains and the usual species of MoUusca, was 

 reached. This exposure exhibits some beautiful examples of " false 

 bedding," and many granite and other boulders from the " drift " 

 were here seen. A very extensive excavation in the Gault, capped 

 by a thin deposit of Upper Greensand, was next visited. The Gault, 

 excavated for brick-making purposes, is exposed to a depth of 70 

 or 80 feet, and, from the evidence of well- sinkers, it is here probably 

 200 feet thick. Fossils are rarely met with in the Gault-clay at 

 this place, though in other localities this formation is very fossil- 

 iferous. Lying on the Gault, at its junction with the Upper Green- 

 sand beds before mentioned, occurs the stratum containing the phos- 

 phatic nodules, or " Coprolites," for which this locality is famous, 

 and which were first noticed as being valuable for agricultural pur- 

 poses by the late Professor Henslow. At a short distance from this 

 excavation the Coprolite workings are found on all sides. Indeed, 



