1871.] 63 
(Bland. 
Sawkins, in the Report on Jamaica, to which I have already referred, 
shows that the highest elevations on that Island are situated to the east, 
and the inclined slope rises from the west. With respect to this, he 
draws ‘‘deductions from two important elements: 
“1, The great equatorial currents have existed in times past as at present. 
¢2. That the trade winds also prevailed with the same uniformity.” 
Referring to vestiges of volcanic action and certain stratified deposits 
towards the eastern end of the Island, containing pebbles and debris of 
previously existing rocks, Sawkins remarks: ‘‘This (voleanic) action 
might have operated intermittently, so as to permit the growth of coral 
reefs, marine animals, &c., of which the remains are contained in the 
limestone formations. Again, supposing the deposits to have originated 
from local igneous or voleanic action, or from debris derived from islands 
to the east, submersion having intervened, the lighter materials and finer 
sediment would be transported by the currents to the westward, these in- 
fluences combining with subsequent changes of level, account for the 
prolongation of the land to the westward.” 
In connection with the facts stated I can only incidentally refer to the 
barrier presented by Tririidad, Tobago, the Grenada bank, and St. Vincent 
to the distribution, to the westward, of marine forms living at greater 
depths than 400 fathoms ; and to the same barrier and others offered by the 
Islands and banks to the North of St. Vincent, to the flow of the equatorial 
current into the Caribbean sea. Also to the existence of a cold current at 
great depths between Barbados and Tobago, shown by the temperatures 
ascertained by Capt. Parsons, viz. 
Surface, Max. 79° Fah., ‘a 1,030 fathoms, Min. 88° 
Sy Oe St, O60 ‘a 6 7 BSP6 
Stated Meeting, March 17, 1871. 
Present, seventeen members. 
Dr. Woon, President, in the chair. 
Haha tee of Mr. Frederick Graff and Prof. D. F. Sandber- 
ger, of Wiirzburg, were received for the Album. 
A letter of envoy was received from the Swedish Bureau of 
Statistics. 
Letters of acknowledgment were ae te ‘aes Herr Hai- 
dinger, of Vienna (for Proc. No. 81, 82); Dr. D. F. Sandberger 
(81, 82, 83); Edinbourg Observatory (82); Bess Bunsen (82, 
83); Prof. ¢ Kirch hoff (82, 83); Smithsonian Institute and Essex 
Institute (85); Harrisburg State Library and Baltimore Pea- 
body Institute (Proc. 85 and Trans. XIV .lII.); D. H. Storer, 
) 
Yale College (85, XIV.-I.); West Point Academy Library 
