466 Geological Society: — 



The author described the general characters of the " Broads," or 

 shallow lakes of East Norfolk, and indicated their connexion with 

 the river-valleys. He regarded them as the last traces of great es- 

 tuaries, now cut off from the influence of the sea by upheaval. 



5. " On a peculiar instance of Intraglacial Erosion near Norwich." 

 By Searles Wood, Jun., Esq., F.G.S., and E. AY. Harmer, Esq. 



The authors described the general structure of the valley of the 

 Yare near Norwich, in which the fundamental chalk-rock is covered 

 by the following drift-beds: — 1, the Chillesford sand and clay; 2, 

 pebbly sands and pebble-beds ; 3, the equivalent of the contorted 

 Drift of Cromer ; 4, the middle glacial sand ; and 5, the Boulder- 

 clay. The valley is hollowed out in these beds. Sewer-shafts sunk 

 in the bottom of the valley near Norwich have shown the existence 

 of an abrupt hole or narrow trough in the chalk, having one of its 

 sides apparently perpendicular. This is filled up in part by a de- 

 posit of dark-blue clay, full of chalk debris, exactly resembling the 

 Boulder-clay at a distance from Norwich, but quite different in 

 character from that occurring in the vicinity (No. 5) ; and this is 

 overlain in part by a bed of the middle glacial sand (No. 4), and in 

 part by a postglacial gravel. The authors believed that this peculiar 

 hole or trough was excavated by glacial action after the deposition 

 of the bed No. 3, and that it belongs to the earliest part of the 

 middle glacial period. At Sommerleyton Brick-kiln, near Lowestoft, 

 a perfectly similar bed occurs between the drift and sand (Nos. 3 

 and 4. 



6. " On the Lignite-mines of Podnernuovo, near Yolterra." By 

 E. J. Beor, Esq., E.G.S. 



The author states that the deposit of Lignite at Podnernuovo, 

 near Yolterra, is of lacustrine origin, and consists of two parallel 

 strata of compact coal about 2| metres ( = 8 feet 4 in.) in thickness, 

 separated by a thin stratum of marl, with marl-shells, The lower 

 coal-bed lies on a bed of marl with marsh-shells, and the upper bed 

 is covered by a marine formation belonging to the Upper Miocene. 

 The lignite comes to the surface near the Alberese, where it extends 

 for a considerable distance. Some shifts occur, bringing the upper 

 bed down nearly to the level of the lower one ; the inclination of the 

 beds diminishes gradually ; and the intervening stratum of marl de- 

 creases in thickness, and probably at last thins out altogether. The 

 coal in the upper bed is better than that in the lower one. The 

 author remarks that this lignite deposit differs from those of the 

 neighbouring valleys in being purely of marsh origin, while they are 

 cstuarinc. 



April 28th, 1869.— Prof. T. H. Huxley, LL.D., F.R.8., 

 President, in the Chair. 

 The following communications were read : — 

 1. "On the Geology and Mineralogy of Hastings County, Canada 

 West." By T. C. Wallbridge, Esq. 



Before describing the gold and iron- ores of Hastings, which formed 

 the main subject of this paper, the author introduced a general 

 sketch of the geology of the county. After noticing certain local 



