440 RECENT WORK OP THE GEOLOGICAL STJEVEY 



dieted for this paper a heartj' reception. So well had the subject 

 been worked out by jMessrs. Peach and Home and their col- 

 leagues, that it had been made clear that our own country con- 

 tained structures which were practically unequalled as types of 

 metamorphism. So far from lagging behind, we were now fully 

 abreast of foreign investigation ; and when the paper came to be 

 printed, with no stint as to illustrations, it must rank as one of the 

 highest value. Such sections are to a certain extent astounding, yet 

 they do occur. He spoke of the fascination of these studies, and felt 

 sure that they gave promise of a great future for British geology. He 

 was only acquainted with the Durness-Eriboll district : but from his 

 knowledge of the accuracy of the Authors' work there, he had everj'- 

 confidence in their interpretation of the other districts. The paper 

 will also add to our knowledge as regards the theory of the origin 

 of the Archaean rocks. He complimented the officers of the Survey 

 on the interest and excellence of their work. 



Dr. Hicks considered that the interest attaching to the district 

 under discussion will hold as far as Loch Carron. One point in 

 respect of the origin of the Archaean rocks he particularly noticed in 

 the paper was the amount of alteration these rocks had undergone in 

 Pre-Cambrian times. These features were seldom obliterated by the 

 new movements. It would be interesting to know to what extent 

 the central area of the Highlands was made up of the old and the 

 new rocks. He imagined that comparatively little of the latter 

 would be found there. He spoke of the evidence afforded in the 

 paper of rocks other than those now known to occur in the area, 

 testifying to an enormous amount of denudation prior to the 

 deposition of the Torridon Sandstone. He had also noticed and 

 referred to the presence of such rocks in the Torridon series further 

 south. He thought the paper a credit to the Survey and to British 

 geologists generally. 



Professor Jxtdt) also congratulated the Survey on this important 

 piece of work. Before offering any criticisms we must wait till we 

 have an opportunity of studying it in detail. It supplied important 

 evidence in support of a principle which had been maintained by 

 many of the most distinguished members of the Geological Society in 

 past times — namely, that foliation is not coincident with strati- 

 fication. 



llr. Te-ILl commented on the many points opened up, and on the 

 immense amount of work embodied in the paper. He could say but 

 little. What was the Archaean gneiss originally ? what is its most 

 original rock ? In many instances the divisional planes are not 

 vertical, but described as rolling at gentle angles. In such cases the 

 strike is represented as being about JST.E. ; hence the so-caUed normal, 

 or N.W. strike must be secondary. What do the original planes 

 of division represent ? Are they lines of segregation in a plutonic 

 magma ? He was glad to find that his petrographical work, more 

 especially in connexion with the development of hornblende-schist 

 out of dolerite, had been confirmed. 



Mr. Htjdlesto]!?' said that every one who had paid any attention 



