386 Geological Society ; — 



Corrantee, which is in the gneiss, whereas the other mines lie on 

 the junction of the granite and gneiss. At this mine several fine 

 specimens of calcite have occurred, many of them coated with twin 

 crystals of harmotome, similar to those from Andreasberg, whereas 

 the crystals found at the old mine are not so clearly macled. 



Associated with these were found a number of small hexagonal 

 prisms, perfectly clear, and exhibiting a very obtuse dihedral ter- 

 mination. They gave the blowpipe reaction of harmotome, and, on 

 analysis by Dr. J. E. Reynolds, proved to be that mineral. 



Descloiseaux has already described a quadrifacial termination to 

 harmotome, with an angle of 178° 20'. 



Mr. Scott submitted that possibly the crystals which he ex- 

 hibited might bear faces which had a close relation to those described 

 by Descloiseaux. 



He concluded by stating that Strontian promised as rich a harvest 

 to the mineralogist as any locality in these islands. 



3. " On the probable origin of Deposits of ' Loess' in North 

 China and Eastern Asia." By T. W. Kingsmill, Esq., of Shanghai. 



The author stated that the Baron von Eichthofen had lately ap- 

 plied the term " Loess " to a light clay deposit covering immense 

 tracts in the north of China. The author regarded this formation 

 as in great measure corresponding to the Kunkur of India, and 

 thought that it probably extended far into the elevated plains of 

 Central Asia. Eichthofen considered that this deposit had been 

 produced by subaerial action upon a surface of dry land ; the author 

 argued that it is of marine origin, having been deposited when the 

 region which it covers was depressed at least 6000 feet, a depression 

 the occurrence of which since the commencement of the Tertiary 

 period he considered to be proved by the mode of deposition of the 

 Upper Nanking Sandstones and Conglomerates, the bold escarp- 

 ments of the hills on either side of the Yangtsze, and other pecu- 

 liarities of the country. 



May 10, 1871. — Prof. Morris, Vice-President, in the Chair. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. " On the Ancient Eocks of the St. David's Promontory, South 

 Wales, and their Eossil contents." By Prof. E. Harkness, P.E.S., 

 F.G.S., and Henry Hicks, Esq. 



In the Promontory of St. David's the rocks upon which the con- 

 glomerates and purple and greenish Sandstone, forming the series 

 usually called the " Longmynd " and " Harlech Groups," repose, are 

 highly quartziferous, and in many spots so nearly resemble syenite 

 that it is at first difficult to make out their true nature. The appa- 

 rent crystals, however, are for the most part angular fragments of 

 quartz, not possessing the true crystalline form of the mineral. The 

 matrix does not exhibit a crystalline arrangement, and contains a 

 very large proportion of silica, much exceeding that which is ob- 

 tained from rocks of a syenitic nature. These quartziferous rocks 

 form an E.N.E. and W.S.W. course. The arrangement of these rocks, 

 which seem to be quartziferous breccias, is somewhat indistinct. 



