290 Scientific Meeting in Germany. 



periments undertaken with a view to the arbitrary production of 

 secondary surfaces on artificial crystals. He described the method 

 employed by him, by means of which he found that the number 

 of surfaces became greater in proportion to the slowness with 

 which crystallisation proceeded, a fact of which he cited several 

 examples. He stated, in conclusion, that his experiments should 

 be continued. 



Professor Romer communicated the result of a survey of the 

 Jurassic Wesergebirge between Hameln and Osnabruck. He re- 

 ferred especially to the striking alterations which the members of 

 the Jura formation composing the range undergo in the course of 

 their extent. In consequence of such a change, for example, the 

 Oxford appears in the western spurs of the chain as compact 

 quartz, whilst in a section of the Porta Guestpkalica it is develop- 

 ed in layers of loose sandy marl schist, which crumbles to pieces 

 in the atmosphere. As something altogether peculiar to the Wes- 

 ergebirge, and differing from anything to be found either in other 

 parts of North Germany or in any other district, he denoted the 

 occurrence of thick beds of brown sandstone in the uppermost 

 member of the series, which is distinguished chiefly by exogyra 

 virgula, the member which in North Germany has hitherto been 

 denoted as Portland, but would more properly be termed Kimme- 

 ridge. Such sandstone strata may be observed in the neighbour- 

 hood of Liibbecke and of Preussisch Oldendorff. 



At the last sectional meeting (24th September), Berghauptman 

 von Dechen gave an account of the progress that had been made 

 in preparing the geognostical map of Germany, and received the 

 thanks of the meeting for his own trouble in that work. In Dr. 

 Ewich's absence, he also made some observations regarding the 

 mineral spring in the Brohlthal and its future importance. He 

 concluded with a short report on the thermal springs of Neuenahr 

 near Beuel in the Ahrthal, recently discovered, by Professor 

 Bischof. 



Dr. Volger pointed out the error that was committed when re- 

 cent geological tendencies were characterised as " a revival of 

 Neptunism." The new tendency had nothing in common with 

 Ncptunism except this, that it was the opposite of Plutonism. In 

 a positive sense it partook no more of Neptunism than Plutonism 

 had retained of the Neptunistic doctrine ; nay, in essential points 

 it deviated from these still more widely than Plutonism itself did. 

 Neptunism assumed the crystalline rocks, — the Basalts, the Gneisses, 



