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PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [Jan. 7, 



ontology since the lamented death of Baron Cuvier, the opinions of 

 that illustrious philosopher on this subject ought not to be rejected 

 upon such insufficient data as those hitherto obtained. Some of the 

 specimens inspected by Baron Cuvier are not at this time exhibited 

 in the British Museum, nor have I been able to obtain a sight of 

 them to examine them anew ; the humerus was not found till after 

 the death of Baron Cuvier. The whole of the evidence which satis- 

 fied the founder of Palaeontology of the existence of birds' bones in 

 the Wealden strata is therefore not before us : but be this as it may, 

 I contend that it is premature and unphilosophical to pronounce 

 that all the bones belonging to animals capable of flight found in 

 these deposits are to be referred to Pterodactyles ; the evidence may 

 be deemed presumptive but not conclusive : surely the great discre- 

 pancy between the former and present interpretation of the fossil 

 that has given rise to these observations affords a salutary caution 

 which should not be wholly disregarded. 



2. On the Classification of the Fossiliferous Slates of Cumber- 

 land, Westmoreland and Lancashire (being a Supplement 

 to a paper read to the Society, March 12, 1845). By the Rev. A. 

 Sedgwick, M.A., F.R.S., Vice-Pres. G.S., Woodwardian Pro- 

 fessor of Geology in the University of Cambridge. 



Part I. 



§ 1. Introduction. — An abstract of my former memoir on this 

 subject having been published in the first volume of the Geological 

 Journal*, I am spared the necessity of entering on many details by 

 way of introduction. Since however the subject before me is one 

 of great complexity, I may be permitted to enumerate the results I 

 before arrived at, and to illustrate them by sections. 



The general section through the great Cumbrian cluster of moun- 

 tains gives us three distinct groups of slate rocks. 



Kendal. 



1. General Section across Cumberland. 

 Skiddaw. 



1 1 . New red sandstone. 

 10. Coal-measures. 



9. Mountain limestone. 



8. Old red sandstone. 



7. Coarse slate and flagstone. 



Plains of 

 the Eden. 



9 10 11 



1. Granite. 



6. Calcareous slate of Coniston. 



5. Green roofing slate and porphjTy. 



4. Skiddaw slate. 



3. Chiastolite slate. 



2. Syenite. 



* Vol. i. p. 442. 



