1868.] batjekma.n arabia pete^a. 39 



Discussion. 



Mr. GwTN Jeffeets corroborated the opinion of tlie author, that 

 there had been at one time permanent marshy lands where he found 

 Lymncea truncatula and a species of Pisidium. 



Mr. D. PoEBES inquired the age of the schists and porphyries of 

 Om Eiglaine, and as to the character of the granite. 



Sir E.. I. MuECHisoK inquired the probable age of the masses of 

 gypseous rocks, and commented on the extremely wide range of the 

 Nummulitic strata. 



Dr. DuNCAiT remarked that the Cretaceous fossils, as had been 

 observed by both M. Louis Lartet and himself, belonged to the 

 Upper Greensand formation. He considered that the author had 

 proved that the Red Sandstone was not, as suggested by M. L. 

 Lartet, Neocomian, but either Triassic or Permian. Fossils of the 

 Upper Chalk with flints he found to be absent. He had found that, 

 out of 25 Cretaceous species,. 13 had been described by M. Coquand 

 from Kabylia and Egypt, while 8 were European forms. 



Mr. Etheeidge considered the fossils from the sandstone to belong 

 to the Trias, especially from the presence of Encrinus moniliformis. 



Prof. T. PuPEET JoiiiTEs regarded the Nuramulites as of the com- 

 mon typical form found in Egypt — the Nummulina Ghyzensis, with 

 iV. Ramondi and varieties. If the JSTummulitic rocks were over- 

 lain by the soft white friable limestone, this latter, like similar 

 beds in Scinde, would be of later date, though similar in lithological 

 character to a bed spoken of as being underneath. 



Mr. W. W. Smyth had found in Nubia, above the Catacombs, red 

 sandstones overlain by limestone and Nummulitic beds. If the 

 Ped Sandstone, as seems probable from the fossils discovered by Mr. 

 Bauerman, were proved to be Trias, a great point in the geology of 

 Sinai and of the East had been gained. 



Mr. Boyd DAWKiiirs inquired as to the evidence of the mines having 

 been worked by the Egyptians. 



Mr. EvAisrs was not satisfied that the flint flakes had been used in 

 the manner suggested, as they would be liable to break off in the 

 socket, and the hammers would not be worn away in the manner 

 they exhibited by mere impact on wood. 



Mr. Caeetithees remarked that the fragment of wood exhibited 

 had not been used as a wedge, as the fibres were not in any way 

 disturbed, as they would have been by the impact of a hammer. 

 He believed that it was broken from a much worn mallet made of 

 coniferous wood. 



The Peesident commented on the similarity of the faunas of India 

 and South Africa, and hoped that Mr. Bauerman's future researches 

 might throw light on the ancient connexion of these continents. 



Mr. Baueemait stated in reply that he did not regard the white 

 limestone as true chalk. He considered that the slabs showed con- 

 clusive evidence of having been chiselled by means of the flints. 



