76 Geological Society: — 



the descent lasting 7*4 years. We have established these data far 

 more reliably in our last paper ; and our curve gives 3-52 years for 

 the ascent, 7*54 years for the descent (average of the three periods). 

 Professor Wolf also thinks that although a single period may differ 

 essentially in its character and form from the mean, still, on the 

 whole, if the descent is retarded, the ascent in the same period is 

 also retarded ; if the former is accelerated, the latter is also acce- 

 lerated. This is not quite borne out by our curve. He also over- 

 looks the secondary maximum, which may lead to great conclusions 

 if more investigated together with other matters. 

 M. Fritz comes to the following conclusions : — 



1. The connexion between sun-spots and auroral and magnetic 

 disturbances indicates an external cause, to be sought in planetary 

 configurations. 



2. The relative influence of the planets must be exerted in the fol- 

 lowing order : — Jupiter (greatest), Venus, Mercury, Earth, Saturn. 



3. This influence cannot entirely depend on the time of rotation ; ' 

 but changes in the magnetic axes of these planets may have the 

 most determining effect. 



4. Investigating the comparative influences of them singly and 

 together (as far as possible), at the times of conjunction and quadra- 

 ture, he finds the greatest coincidence of maxima of sun-spots with 

 the time when Jupiter and Saturn are in quadrature ; and the great- 

 est coincidence of minima when these planets are in conjunction. 



5. There is also (a minor) coincidence of maxima when Jupiter 

 and Venus are in quadrature. 



There is also an extension of the paper for finding the connexions 

 with auroras, and a statement that every 27*7 days there seems to be 

 a monthly maximum, which may probably be explained (according 

 to Fritz) by the tendency of a particular solar meridian to spot- 

 formation, depending upon the presence of an intra-Mercurial planet. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 [Continued from vol. xli. p. 549.] 



January 25, 1871. — Joseph Prestwich, Esq., E.R.S., President, 

 in the Chair. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. "On the Physical Relations of the New Red Marl, Rhaetic beds, 

 and Lower Lias." By Prof. A. C. Ramsay, LL.D., F.R.S., F.G.S. 



The author commenced by stating that there is a perfect physical 

 gradation between the New Red Marl and the Rhsetic beds. He 

 considered that the Few Red Sandstone and Marl were formed in 

 inland waters, the latter in a salt lake, and regarded the abundance 

 of oxide of iron in them as favourable to this view. The fossil foot- 

 prints occurring in them were evidence that there was no tide in 

 the water. The author maintained that the New Red Marl is more 

 closely related to the Rhsetic, and even to the Lias, than to the 



