556 



island about 1600 years ago. Previous to this there must have 

 been a long and perfectly quiet time, during which the horizon- 

 tal beach was formed. Supposing the rise of the island and the 

 lateral addition to the sloping beach to have been quite regular, and 

 the lateral extension of the horizontal beach to have been equally 

 uniform, we require for its formation a period of 2500 years. 

 This would carry back the sudden elevation of the island of ten feet, 

 marked by the narrow and abrupt, as well as highest beach, which 

 the author thinks may have been caused by a great earthquake, to 

 a period of 4000 years from the present time. 



The author also informs us that over all Denmark, Sleswig, and 

 Holstein, shells of the German ocean of the present day, may be 

 found sometimes at considerable elevations above the level of the sea. 

 Thus not far from Bornhoveland Holstein, at a height which exceeds 

 150 feet, a bed of fossils and pebbles occurs, containing Cardium 

 edule, Littorinalittorea, Buccinum U7idatum, Ostrea edulis; the latter 

 shell is however smaller than that now living on the coast, but agrees 

 with that found fossil in the raised beds of recent marine shells of 

 England. Subsidences must also have occurred, as between the 

 island of Rdraoe and the shores of the kingdom of Sleswig, a sub- 

 marine forest (said to be of fir) is found at nine feet below the pre- 

 sent high water mark. 



The author also calls the attention of geologists to the traces of 

 an inundation of about sixty feet above the present high water mark, 

 on the islands of the western shores of Sleswig; and which appears 

 to have taken place since these were inhabited by man, since Tumuli 

 are found partly destroyed by the inundation. 



A paper " On the Physical Structure of Devonshire, and on the 

 subdivisions and geological relations of its old stratified deposits;" 

 by the Rev. Adam Sedgwick, F.G.S., & R.S., Woodwardian Pro- 

 fessor in the University of Cambridge; and Roderick Impey Mur- 

 chison, Esq., V.P.G.S., F.R.S., was commenced. 



June 14. — Raikes Currie, Esq., of Hyde Park Terrace ; Rev. 

 Joseph Walkin Barnes, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge ; 

 Thomas Webster, Esq., A.M., Trinity College, Cambridge, Secre- 

 tary to the Institute of Civil Engineers ; and John Nash Sanders, 

 Esq., of Bristol, were elected Fellows of this Society, 



The paper by Prof Sedgwick and Mr. Murchison, on Devonsiiire, 

 began at the last meeting, was concluded. 



Chap. I. — After a few preliminary remarks the authors proceed to 

 describe the general structure of Devonshire, which they consider as 

 divided into five distinct geological regions. 



1. The first region extends through the most eastern portions of 

 the county, and is principally occupied by formations of new red 

 sandstone and green sand. 



2. The second region (which is prolonged into the north-west 

 corner of Somersetshire) occupies the most northern portions of the 



