Geological Society. 233 



" Researches on the Development of the Spinal Cord in Man, 

 Mammalia, and Birds." By Jacob Lockhart Clarke, Esq., F.R.S. 



" Observations made on the Movements of the Larynx when viewed 

 by means of the Laryngoscope." By John Bishop, Esq., F.R.S. 



"Anatomy and Phvsiology of the Spongiadae." By J. Scott 

 Bowerbank, LL.D., F.R.S. 



" On the Spectrum of Carbon," By John Attfield, Esq., F.C.S., 

 Demonstrator of Chemistry at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. 



The author has prismatically examined various flames containing 

 carbon. He finds that certain rays of light are common to ignited 

 oxycarbons, hydrocarbons, nitrocarbons, and sulphocarbons, and 

 concludes that these common rays are those emanating from ignited 

 carbon vapour. By special manipulation he obtains the carbon 

 spectrum with defiant gas, cyanogen, carbonic oxide, and bisulphide 

 of carbon. Observed by the naked eye, the prevailing colour of 

 ignited carbon is light blue. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



[Continued from vol. xxiv. p. 492.] 



November 19, 1862. — Prof. A. C. Ramsay, President, in the Chair. 



The following communication was read : — 



" On the Cambrian and Huronian Formations, with remarks on 

 the Laurentian." By J. J. Bigsby, M.D., F.G.S. 



This paper is divided into two parts, the first treating of the 

 Cambrian Formation, and the second of the Huronian. The author 

 observed that the Cambrian is very local in its distribution, the Si- 

 lurian in many cases lying directly upon Metamorphic Rocks ; he 

 made some remarks upon the mineralogical and stratigraphical cha- 

 racters of the first-named formation, the scarcity of its fossils, its 

 conformable upward passage into the Silurian, and its absence in 

 America and Northern Europe. 



In the second part were described the Huronian of Canada, the 

 Azoic Rocks of the southern shores of Lake Huron and Lake Supe- 

 rior, and the Second Azoic Group of Norway, all of which are con- 

 sidered by the author to belong to the same period. It was then 

 stated that the Huronian Formation and its equivalents agree in 

 being unconformable to the Silurian and conformable to the Lauren- 

 tian, in containing many beds of Limestone and a large quantity 

 of copper-ores, and in the total absence of fossils ; in all of which 

 respects they differ from the Cambrian. The author, therefore, 

 came to the conclusion that the Cambrian and the Huronian are 

 distinct formations, and that the latter is very much the older. 



December 3, 1862. — Prof. A. C. Ramsay, President, in the Chair. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. " Description of the Remains of a new Enaliosaurian (Eosaurus 

 Acadianus), from the Coal-formation of Nova Scotia." By O. C. 

 Marsh, Esq., M.A. Communicated by Sir C. Lyell, V.P.G.S. 



The specimen which formed the subject of this communication 



