Glasgow Geological Society. 235 



Mr. Thomson then exhibited specimens of BJiizodopsis sauroides, 

 Amphy centrum granidosum, and Platysomus parvidus from the Stafford- 

 shire coal-field, observing that the scales of BMzodopsis had been 

 found in our Scottish coal-beds, but as yet no complete specimen of 

 the fossil had thence been obtained. 



Mr. Young said it was worthy of being noted that three of the 

 Ichthyolites referred to — the Coelacanthus, Palceoniscus, and Platysomus 

 — are the three most characteristic forms of fish life in the imme- 

 diately succeeding formation, the Permian or New Eed Sandstone. 

 These three were the principal forms that were continued from the 

 one period to the other. With that system, most of these forms 

 died out, and are not met with in any subsequent formation. 



n. — February 2nd, 1871. Mr. John Young, Vice-President, in 

 the Chair. The Society elected office-bearers for the ensuing year, 

 viz. : — President: Professor John Young, M.D., P.G.S. Vice- 

 Presidents : Messrs. E. A. Wtinsch, J. Young, and James Thomson, 

 F.G.S. Secretaries : Messrs. D. Bell and John Burns. Treasurer : 

 Mr. John Wight, C.A. Librarian : Mr. Thomas Naismith. 



Charleston PTiospJiates. — A collection of phosphates from Charles- 

 ton, United States, was exhibited by the Eev. J. F. Potts and Mr. 

 Naismith, together with some large fossil teeth, vertebrae, etc., from 

 the same locality. Mr. Potts stated that large quantities of these 

 phosphates are iDeing used in America, and also imported into this 

 country, for the manufacture of artificial manures. The specimens 

 on the table had been collected from some cargoes lately brought to 

 the Clyde. The deposit from which they are taken is found along 

 the banks of many of the rivers ia South Carolina, and immediately 

 under the surface soil of the land lying between ; and is supposed to 

 underlie a large portion of the coast and sea-island region of that 

 part of America. It consists of layers, varying from six inches to 

 several feet in thickness, of irregularly rounded nodules, mixed up 

 with an immense quantity of bones — ribs, vertebrae, tusks — of various 

 species of animals, all more or less petrified. The nodules yield fifty 

 to sixty per cent, of bone phosphate ; while from some of the bones 

 as much as eighty to eighty-five per cent, of this fertilizing substance 

 had been obtained. 



The Chairman said there could be no doubt this remarkable deposit 

 of phosphates belonged to the Tertiary period, and probably its 

 earlier division, the Eocene. The Tertiary formation is largely 

 developed along the southern coast of North America, stretching in a 

 belt of considerable breadth from North Carolina to the Gulf of 

 Mexico, and leaving the coast line only at the delta of the Mississippi. 



He then gave an interestiag account of the Cetacean and Squaloid 

 remains which characterize this remarkable deposit. 



Local Boulders and Boidder-clay. — Mr. Kobert Craig read a paper 

 " On the Boulders found in cuttings on the Beith Branch Eailway, 

 considered in relation to their parent Eock ; with observations on the 

 local character of the Boulder-clay." 



