xlviii PROCEEDINGS OF THE GKOLOGTCAL SOCIETY. 



of the south-east side of the Meiiai, he enters into palseontological de- 

 tails, and connects his subject with the geology of Ireland, by showing 

 at some length the analogy in lithological character and fossil con- 

 tents, between the lower parts of the series of strata in question, and 

 the.' yellow sandstone' of Mr. Griffith, as seen in the North of Ireland. 

 He maintains that in this Welsh district no distinction exists be- 

 tween the Devonian and Carboniferous deposits, and that the entire 

 series of beds, including the red sandstone conglomerates and yellow 

 sandstones at its base, must be considered as a continuous whole. It 

 must be borne in mind, however, by English geologists, that the 

 so-called Irish Devonians alluded to belong to the neutral ground, 

 between the typical Devonians and Carboniferous limestones, and 

 that for many reasons their affinities may be regarded rather as 

 appertaining to the latter than to the former palaeozoic group. 



A paper of a strictly Irish character, but bearing importantly on 

 our own Silurian Geology, has been read by Messrs. Jukes and 

 Wyley, on the structure of the northern part of the county of Wick- 

 low. The authors show that the Lower Silurians rest unconformably 

 on the edges of the Cambrian rocks of that locality, and that the 

 granite does not bring up the Cambrian rocks on its flanks, but cuts 

 up through the Silurian ; the general dip to the rocks being towards 

 the granite for a considerable space on each side of it. 



The new edition of Mr. Griffith's beautiful map has this day been 

 presented to us, em'iched by many improvements. The Geological 

 Survey of Ireland has completed the examination of the counties of 

 Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford, Kildare, Carlow, and Waterford, and 

 more than half of Kilkenny and Cork, with parts of the adjacent 

 counties. All the observable data have been laid down on the six- 

 inch maps, and the results published on the index maps of the five 

 first counties. The sheet inch-map of Ireland having now been 

 commenced, and four quarter-sheets, including the northern half of 

 the county of Wicklow, &c., being nearly ready for publication, the 

 eai'ly geological work of that portion has been revised and the lines 

 laid down upon the new maps. The publication of these inch-maps 

 may shortly be looked for, and it is to be hoped that the furtherance 

 of this good work, by the aid of the Ordnance, will receive every 

 encoviragement from Government. 



Geology of British Colonies and Possessions. 



In noticing the progress that has been made during 1853 in this 

 highly important branch of my theme, I shall confine myself 

 almost entirely to remarks upon memoirs not contained in our own 

 Journal. That publication is rich this year in contributions to 

 colonial geology, essays of unquestionable value, and whose merits 

 speak for themselves. Thus from the East we have received ac- 

 counts of the researches in various parts of India of Dr. Andrew 

 Fleming, Capt. Yicary, i\Ir. Frere, Lieut. Sankey, and Dr. Bell ; 

 and a notice of the geology of Labuan by Mr. ]Motley. Cap- 

 tain Nelson has given us the results of his researches amono; the coral 



