392 Reports and Proceedings. 



same islands. He compares them with some gneiss from Dalbeg on 

 the west coast of the island of Lewis. 



5. " On Borypterus Hofmanni, (Germar), from the Marl-slate of 

 Midderidge, Durham." By Albany Hancock, Esq., F.L,S , and 

 Eichard Howse, Esq. Communicated by Pirof. Huxley, F.R.S., 

 F.G.S. 



The material for this paper consisted of fonr specimens of Bory- 

 pterus JSofmanni, which have been discovered by Joseph Duff, Esq., 

 in the Marl-slate of Midderidge, and are believed to be the first 

 examples of this fish which have been obtained in this country. The 

 stratum from which they were procured is the same as that described 

 by Prof Sedgwick in his paper, published in the Transactions of 

 this Society (2nd series, vol. iii., pp. 76, 77). The specimens show 

 that the "ribbon-shaped " process mentioned by Germar is part of a 

 peculiar exoskeleton, and that Dorypterus possessed ventral fins, 

 which were situated in front of the pectorals, or " jugular." Hitherto, 

 no fishes with ventral fins other than " abdominal " in position, have 

 been known to occur earlier than the Cretaceous epoch. The tail is 

 heterocercal, not homocercal, as Germar supposed. The dentition is 

 not displayed in any of the specimens, and the teeth were probably 

 small and inconspicuous ; but the general structure of the fish shows 

 it to be most nearly allied to the Pycnodonts. 



6. " Observations on Ice-marks in Newfoundland." By Staff- 

 Commander J. H. Kerr, E.N., F.E.G.S. Communicated by the 

 Eoyal Geographical Society. 



The author describes and tabulates the grooves and scratches 

 observed by him on rock-surfaces in various parts of Newfoundland, 

 especially Conception Bay, the neighbourhood of St. John's, and the 

 north of Bonavista Bay. From the diversity of the direction of the 

 markings and other considerations, he considers that they must have 

 been produced by glaciers, and he believes that the main features of 

 the country were much the same as at present, before the glaciation 

 took place. The author thinks that the land has not been submerged 

 since it was freed from its coating of ice. 



7. " On the Glacial Phenomena of Western Lancashire and 

 Cheshire." By C. E. De Eance, Esq., F.G.S. 



The author described the general form of the ground and the pre- 

 glacial condition and glacial deposits of the districts of Wirral and 

 Western Lancashire, and draws from his observations the following 

 general conclusions. That before and at th« commencement of the 

 glacial epoch the north-west of England was more elevated above 

 the sea-level than at present, but afterwards gradually subsided, 

 during which process marine denudation produced the plains of 

 Wirral and Western Lancashire. Part of the latter has since been 

 covered with glacial deposits 200 feet thick. The valleys running 

 in the strike of the Triassic strata appear to have been formed by 

 sub-aerial agencies. It is probable that when the glacial epoch com- 

 menced, the hilly country was covered with immense glaciers, or 

 with an ice-sheet, which, as the land sunk, reached the sea. The 



