238 Geological Society : — 



Gulf Batliybius was plentiful ; and over an area 7000 miles long the 

 same organism occurred in abundance. He agreed in thinking it 

 possible that such organisms might have gone on living from the 

 earliest geological times. 



In answer to Prof. Ramsay, the President stated that the sound- 

 ings in which the Bathybius occurs alone, as analyzed by Dr. Frank- 

 land, contained lg per cent, of nitrogenous organic matter. 



2. " Notes on the Geology of China, with more especial refer- 

 ence to the provinces of the Lower Yungtsi." By Thomas AY. Kings- 

 mill, Esq. 



The sedimentary deposits of the south of China were described as 

 commencing at the base with a series of coarse grits and sandstones, 

 having a thickness of about 12,000 feet, and overlain conformably 

 by limestones and shales (with coal in the lower part), attaining a 

 thickness of between 6000 and 8000 feet. The whole of these 

 rocks were described by the author as the " Tung-ting Series." 

 In the Nanking district this formation is succeeded by sandstones, 

 grits, and conglomerates, which the author has grouped together 

 under the name of the " Chung-shan Series." Its uppermost member 

 contains beds of coal, and possesses an unknown thickness ; but the 

 remaining beds are together about 2400 feet thick. Mr. Kingsmill 

 described in detail the geological relations and geographical extension 

 of these rock-masses ; he then gave a sketch of the superficial 

 deposits, which occupy an important position in the geology of 

 China, and from the older of which Mammalian bones and teeth 

 have been obtained ; and he concluded by stating that he had been 

 uniformly unsuccessful in his frequent searches for traces of glacial 

 action. 



January 13th, 1869.— -Prof. T. H. Huxley, LL.D., F.R.S., President, 



in the Chair. 



The following communications were read ; — 



1. « On Hi/perodapedonr By Prof. T. H. Huxley, LL.D., F.K.S., 

 Pres. G.S. 



The author described the characters of the genus Hyperodapedon, 

 dwelling especially upon those presented by the head and dentition. 

 The head presents indications of a bone forming a second zygomatic 

 arch on each side ; the upper jaw is produced and bent downwards, 

 forming a strong beak; and the lower jaw is produced on each side 

 of the symphysis into a pointed process, between which the decurved 

 beak of the upper jaw is received. The maxillary and palatine teeth 

 are arranged in rows, and present some resemblance to the large nails 

 in the sole of a boot ; they are inserted on each side of the upper jaw 

 upon the sloping sides of a deep groove, and are worn down and 

 polished by the action of the mandibular teeth, which form a con- 

 tinuous and very close single series along the upper edge of the 

 mandible. The author remarked upon this peculiarity of arrangement, 

 which, he said, enables the teeth of Ilyperodapedon to be recog- 

 nized wherever they may occur. The vertebrae have their centra 

 slightly concave at each extremity. The other known parts of the 



