284 Beports and Proceedings. 



mination. They gave the blowpipe reaction of harmotome ; and on 

 analysis by Dr. J. E. Eeynolds, proved to be that mineral. 



Descloiseaux has already described a quadrifacial termination to 

 harmotome, with an angle of 178° 20'. 



Mr. Scott submitted that possibly the crystals which he exhibited 

 might bear facies which had a close relation to those described by 

 Descloiseaux. 



He concluded by stating that Strontian promised as rich a harvest 

 to the mineralogist as any locality in these islands. 



Discussion. — Mr. W."W. Smyth mentioned the wonderful collection of minerals from 

 Strontian which had been brought to the Great Exhibition of 1861, which gave a 

 most striking idea of the mineral riches of the locality. The occurrence of such a 

 series of different substances in one locality in the granite was almost unparalleled, 

 though in the Andreasberg mines, in clay slate, they were to some extent rivalled. 

 The features, however, differed in the two places, more silver and a greater number 

 of zeolites being present in the Hartz mines. 



Mr. D. Forbes observed that harmotome occurred also at the Eonigsberg silver- 

 mines in Norway, at a distance from granite. He thought it remarkable that these 

 crystals of peculiar form occurred in the same spot and in connexion with crystals of 

 the same substance, but of the ordinary form. 



Mr. Thos. Da vies remarked that celestine was also to be placed on the list of the 

 minerals from Strontian. Harmotome with Pyrrhotine had been found in the same 

 form of double crystals at Bodenmais, in Bavaria. 



Mr. Scott stated, in reply to a question from the Chairman, that the mineral had 

 not been as yet optically examined, but that if he could procure more of it he should 

 be happy to place it at the disposal of any gentleman who would examine it. As 

 regarded the idea that harmotome usually occurred near the surface, he could give 

 no information about the old mines, as they had been allowed to fall in ; but most 

 certainly the new specimens from Corrantee came from surface workings. He was 

 very glad to learn from Mr. Davies that celestine had been found at the locality ; and 

 he felt sure that careful search would double or treble the number of species known 

 to occur there. "With reference to what had fallen from Prof. Smyth, he could fully 

 corroborate his observations as to the difference between the forms of calcite asso- 

 ciated with harmotome at Andreasberg, in the Hartz, and at Strontian. It was 

 remarkable that the general facies of the crystals of calcite occurring at Corrantee, 

 where the lode was entirely in the gneiss, differed from that usually observed in the 

 old mines in Glen Strontian, which were partly in the granite and partly in the 

 gneiss. 



3. "On the probable origin of Deposits of 'Loess' in North 

 China and Eastern Asia." By T. W. Kingsmill, Esq., of Shanghai. 

 Communicated by Prof. Huxley, F.E.S., V.P.G.S. 



The author stated that the Baron von Richthofen had lately applied 

 the term " Loess" to a light clay deposit covering immense tracts in 

 the north of China. The author regarded this formation as in great 

 measure coiTesponding to the Kunkur of India, and thought that it 

 probably extended far into the elevated plains of Central Asia. 

 Eichthofen considered that this deposit had been produced by sub- 

 aerial action upon a surface of dry land ; the author argued that it 

 is of marine origin, having been deposited when the region which it 

 covers was depressed at least 6000 feet, a depression the occurrence 

 of which since the commencement of the Tertiary period he con- 

 sidered to be proved by the mode of deposition of the Upper Nank- 

 ing Sandstones and Conglomerates, the bold escarpment of the hills 

 on either side of the Yangtsze, and other peculiarities of the country. 



Discussion. — Prof. Ramsay remarked that the author had not proved that the 

 loess he described was really stratified. He could not agree with his views of the 



