44 



SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



groove bearing north-west, and measuring 14 feet 

 by 4 inches ; and on the left-hand side, just below 

 Sea View Terrace, is a series running parallel to 

 one another and also bearing north-west. At the 

 bend of the road opposite Tyn-y-ffyon Gardens is a 

 fine striated surface, the striae of which culminate 

 in a large groove which extends in a north-westerly 

 direction for 15 feet and finally disappears be- 

 neath the soil. A boss of Cambrian grit, mam- 

 millated and striated on its eastern face and 

 superficially contorted, lies at the western extremity 

 of Porkington Terrace. Its striae bear north- 

 north-east. The preceding are a few examples, 

 but hundreds of others are to be found within a 

 couple of miles of the town. 



The morfa or marshland which borders the 

 coast-line to the north of Barmouth, also affords 

 an abundance of material bearing on the Glacial 

 problems of the district. At Dyffryn, Pensarn, and 

 Harlech it constitutes a broad tract of swampy 

 country fringing the coast-line. It is made up of 

 alternating beds of gravel and peat, through which 

 dykes and drains have been cut to carry the storm 

 waters of the mountain streams to the sea. At 

 Barmouth the drainage is not so effective, so that 

 the waters collect between the lateral moraine of 

 the old Mawddach glacier and the foothills of Cell 

 Fechan. 



Between Barmouth and Llanaber the impounding 



moraine has been completely covered with sand. 



and an effective barrier is thus offered to the 



further advance of the waters of Cardigan Bay ; 



but at Pensarn, a short distance to the northwards. 



the barrier has been breached and the low-lying 



land has been converted into a typical tidal marsh. 



The sand-dunes at Barmouth are very much in 



evidence on a windy day. and the visitor, whether 



he will or no. usually becomes pretty intimately 



acquainted with them before he leaves the district. 



One need not go farther than the breakfast or 



dinner table to see that the dunes are made of 



clean, fine-grained, white quartz, sometimes stained 



considerably with iron. Around the mouth of the 



Mawddach estuary, and at several points along the 



shore-line to the north of Barmouth, it has been 



drifted in mounds and dunes of considerable size. 



which are often covered with a thick growth of 



coast barley (JHordeum maritimvvi), wild wheat 



(Iriticitm jirnceum). and rnarrain-grass (Amm&o 



arena ria). These accumulations are comparatively 



recent, and generally overlie the moraine and the 



old Forest Bed. 



In March 1898 a violent storm raged along the 

 coast, and off Llanaber the under-tow of the tide 

 swept the sands away to a depth of 14 feet. A 

 portion of the Forest Bed was laid bare, and the 

 skeleton of a fine specimen of Cervws elaplms was 

 exposed. Unfortunately, however, the rapid rise 

 of the tide only allowed of the removal of the 

 skull, antlers, a femur, and a few rib-bones. The 

 remainder was washed away. The beams of the 



antlers were in part thickly encrusted with cal- 

 careous matter, and the tips of the tines were 

 pyritized. The width of the antlers from tip to 

 tip is 3 feet If inches. The right ramus is 13 

 inches long, and it contains three molars ; the 

 teeth of the left ramus are missing. 



The Forest Bed in which these interesting re- 

 mains were found is frequently exposed along the 

 shore-line at low tide, and numerous relics of the 

 flora and mammalia of the Forest period have 

 been found by the fisher-folk. Numerous pieces of 

 bog-oak are drifted ashore even- winter. Of the 

 former extent of this forest -land little is known. 

 The numerous exposures that have been made 

 from time to time along the coast -line show that it 

 once extended far out into the area now known as 

 Cardigan Bay, and throughout the length of what 

 is now the Welsh coast. It does not come within 

 the scope of this paper to describe the many re- 

 mains of early stone monuments with which this 

 delightful locality abounds. Mystic circles, logan- 

 stones, cromlechs and temples connected with the 

 old Druidical rites are sivrprisingly numerous. The 

 student of prehistoric Britain, whether he be geo- 

 logist or antiquarian, will find no disappointment 

 at Barmouth. 



19 Havensfmood Road. 

 Redland, Bristol. 



SOUTH-EASTERN UNION OF SCIENTIFIC 

 SOCIETIES. 



The Brighton meeting of the Union was held in 

 the first week in June, and constituted its fifth 

 annual Congress. It was successful and well 

 attended. The President-Elect for the Congress 

 was Mr. G. B. Howes, LL.D., F.R.S. At a recep- 

 tion given by the Corporation to the members, 

 Professor Howes delivered his presidential address. 

 He took for his subject the progress of the study 

 of evolution since the time of Charles Darwin, and 

 spoke on the chemical theory of life. He also 

 referred to the "popularisation" of science, and 

 the whole duty of man when scientific. He 

 chided the south for being behind the north in 

 local organisation of science teaching and higher 

 education. The president also reminded his 

 audience that their boasted civilisation was due to 

 the application of science to daily life and domestic 

 customs. Dr. Howes spoke seriously 7 upon the 

 present easy life followed by many youths and 

 maidens, who preferred " sport " and luxury to 

 self -education. He foretold a sad future for these 

 young people if then- course of conduct was not 

 arrested in time. The [address was well received 

 by a large and influential gathering of members 

 and visitors. One of the most interesting papers 

 was by Mr, F. Chapman, A.L.S. on " The Brighton 

 Baised Beaches and their Microscopical Contents." 

 Mr. Tutt's motion for holding sectional meetings 

 at these Congresses was not carried. 



