1863.] MURCHISOX PERMIAN OF BOHEMIA. 297 



of the various ranges, we cannot help feeling surprised at meeting here 

 with species that occur far down in the Lower Lias. Such however 

 are, amongst others, Lima punctata, Sow., Lima pectinoides, Sow., 

 Cardinia hybrida, Stutchb., and Spirifera Walcotti, Sow., all of 

 which I have myself found in the ' Angulatus-beds ' to the west of 

 Lyme. What makes the appearance of these forms so high up the 

 more remarkable is that I have not found them in intermediate 

 strata. The few fossils that I have cited from the Upper Lias and 

 the Cephalopoda-beds do not justify any observations beyond those 

 I have already made — at least, not on the present occasion. 



The higher forms of life — fish and reptilia — occur so sparingly in 

 our Middle Lias, that in these likewise there are no materials upon 

 which to generalize. 



The questions which arise upon the facts of the distribution of 

 fossils, as herein given, are to my mind of the greatest interest and 

 importance. It would be impossible, however, to treat of such ques- 

 tions in a satisfactory manner without extending my observations 

 beyond the scope of the present paper. In a future communication 

 I hope to lay before the Society some speculations upon the historj* 

 of the Lias, which have originated in a consideration of the distribu- 

 tion of inorganic materials and organic forms throughout that forma- 

 tion in this district. The details into which I have entered in this 

 paper have been for the purpose of describing some of the less-known 

 facts upon which I have based my theoretical views. 



I cannot conclude this paper without expressing my obligations 

 to my friend Robert Etheridge, Esq., F.R.S.E., F.G.S. The sections 

 which he had made, and the knowledge which he had acquired upon 

 the spot before I began my work, he kindly placed at my disposal 

 for reference and comparison ; the many fossils which I have entered 

 on my lists have all been submitted to his examination ; and before 

 I completed my paper, he kindly went over the various sections with 

 me, so as the more authoritatively to give me the support of his 

 judgment as to the correctness of my measurements and descriptions. 



March 4, 1863. 



Francis Drake, Esq., Leicester; II Commendatore Devincenzi, 

 Member of the Italian Parliament, Ministry of Agriculture and 

 Commerce, Turin ; Cav. C. Perazzi, Royal Corps of Mining Engineers, 

 Turin ; 0. C. Marsh, Esq., M.A., 14 Linkstrasse, Berlin ; and John 

 Watson, Esq., Whitby, were elected Fellows. 



The following communication was read : — 



1. On the Permiax Rocks of North-easterx Bohemia. By Sir 

 Roderick I. Murchisox, K.C.B., F.R.S., F.G.S., &c, Director- 

 General of the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom. 



Lithologkal Characters. — The Permian rocks of Bohemia differ from 

 tiiose of North-western Germany in not comprising a calcareous 



