Bristol Naturalists Society. 321 



2. On some Evidence in favour of Subsidence in the South-west 

 Counties of England during the Eecent Period. By E. S. Claypole, 

 B.Sc, B.A. — Eeferring to the peat-beds that exist in many places on 

 our south-western coast, and particularly to those around Cornwall, 

 Mr. Claypole pointed out their general arrangement as exemplified 

 at Gyllyngvaes, Falmouth. Here the peat-bed overlies a very tena- 

 cious clay, and is covered by the ordinary shingle of the coast to 

 such an extent that only at very low water is it exposed to view. 

 Speaking of the plant remains of these peat-beds, he sees no ground 

 for assuming that any of them belong to species even locally extinct. 

 Their present position seems to him to indicate a subsidence of at 

 least 42 feet, for they could hardly have been formed at a lower 

 level than 20 feet above high-water mark. He considers the raised 

 beaches to be of earlier date than the peat-beds, and that there is no 

 evidence of upheaval since the growth of this vegetation. 



3. The Quaternary Deposits of the Bristol Neighbourhood. By 

 W. W. Stoddart, E.G.S., E.C.S.— The area to which Mr. Stoddart's 

 remarks apply extends from Portishead and Falfield on the north, 

 to Glastonbury and Bruton on the south. Its physical geography 

 during the Quaternary period is shown on a small map accompanying 

 the paper. During the Glacial period Mr. Stoddart thinks that the 

 waters of what is now the Bristol Channel most likely reached the 

 foot of the Mendip and Cotteswold Hills, and washed the sides of 

 the innumerable islands that appeared above the waves, such as 

 Glastonbury Tor, Dundry, Ashton, Clifton, etc., which then were 

 completely isolated from the mainland. He then points out some of 

 the subsequent changes, and the animals which flourished at the 

 time, and are now found fossil in the caves. These caverns or 

 fissures are considered by Mr. Stoddart as owing their origin to 

 convulsions, when a "great volcanic outburst" formed the magnifi- 

 cent gorges of Clifton and Cheddar ! 



4. On the Igneous Eocks of Shropshire. By W. "W. Stoddart, 

 E.G.S., etc. 



5. On Denudation. By C. F. Eavis. — The author pointed out 

 some of the general effects of denudation in Somersetshire. 



6. On the Structure of Eubies, Sapphires, Diamonds, and some 

 other Minerals. By H. C. Sorby, F.E.S., and P. J. Butler. (From 

 the Proceedings of the Eoyal Society, 1869.) 



7. Notes on the Geology of Weymouth. By W. W. Stoddart, 

 F.G.S., etc. 



8. On Fossil Fish. By W. Sanders, F.E.S., F.G.S.— This was a 

 continuation of the subject; the author described the characters of the 

 Ganoid division of Fishes. 



VOL. VIII, — NO. LXXSV. 21 



