346 Reports and Proceedings. 



2. "Notes on an Ancient Boulder-clay of Natal." By Dr. Suther- 

 land, Surveyor-Genera] of the Colony. Communicated by Prof. 

 Eamsay, F.E.S., F.G.S. 



The author described the extensive occurrence in Natal of a forma- 

 tion which he considered to present the essential characters of Mr. 

 Bain's " claystone porphyry." It consisted of a greyish-blue argil- 

 laceous matrix, containing fragments of Granite, Gneiss, Greenstone, 

 Clayslate, etc., often of large size, exhibited ripple-markings in some 

 places, and in others showed a rude approach to wavy stratification. 

 It rested generally upon old Silurian sandstones, the upper surface 

 of which was often deeply grooved and striated. The author re- 

 garded this deposit as an ancient Boulder-clay, perhaps of Permian age. 



Discussion. — Dr. Mann called attention to some specimens wMch he had brought 

 in illustration of Dr. Sutherland's paper, which showed the gradual transition from a 

 state closely resembling that of an igneous rock into that of a truly stratified deposit. 



Mr. T. M'K. Hughes, while admitting a recurrence of glacial periods, disputed 

 the evidence in the cases hitherto brought forward. He adduced instances of the 

 accumulation of similar fragments in ancient and recent deposits, which could not 

 be referred to glacial origin ; and showed how striation of the included fragments was 

 frequently produced by movements in the mass subsequent to consolidation, pointing 

 out that the supposed glacial deposits of Old Eed age were formed under conditions 

 similar to those under which such irregular accumulations were formed at the present 

 day ; that all the striated fragments occurred close to faults ; that the Permian in the 

 north of England, where it was deposited between high mountains, and might, there- 

 fore, be expected to be supplied in part by glaciers, contained no fragments from the 

 higher ground of the Pennine range. He urged that the Natal deposit was not like 

 a boulder clay, being rippled-marked and distinctly bedded, and that it had been 

 subjected to pressure so great as to have produced distinct cleavage. 



Prof. Eamsay combated the views of Mr. Hughes, and maintained that there was 

 no necessity for supposing that all the pre-Carboniferous rocks were above water at 

 the time of the deposit of the Permian beds of the north of England. Still he had 

 never maintained that any of these deposits were due to glacial action, but only more 

 southern beds. He pointed out that in the Natal beds under discussion, enormous 

 blocks of rock occurred, which were sixty or eighty miles from their original home, and 

 still remained angular ; and there was a difficulty in accounting for the phenomena on 

 any other hypothesis than that suggested. He still maintained the probability of the 

 occurrence of glacial episodes, not only in Permian but in other ages, as he had done 

 now fifteen years ago. A boulder-clay might be recognized, not only by the striae on 

 the stones, which were not always present, but by their shape and the general charac- 

 ter of the agglomeration of the beds. 



3. "On the Distribution of Wastdale Crag Blocks, or 'Shapfell 

 Granite Boulders,' in Westmoreland," By Prof. Eobert Harkness, 

 F.KS., F.G.S. 



The author described the position of Wastdale Crag and the general 

 distribution of the blocks of granite derived from it, and discussed 

 the hypotheses which have been proposed to account for this distri- 

 bution, and especially to explain how the blocks could have been 

 transported to the eastern side of the elevated ground of Stainmoor. 

 The author considered that neither of the extant hypotheses, account- 

 ing for the transport of these blocks by the agency of a glacier or 

 of icebergs, was tenable ; and he indicated what he regarded as the 

 chief objections to each of them. He suggested that their transport 

 had been effected by the agency of coast-ice, the land being depressed 

 to the extent of about 1,500 feet, which would leave the Wastdale 

 Crag sufficiently exposed to atmospheric action to enable it to furnish 



