On the Geological Age of the Taconic System. 373 



ordinary grey Boulder-clay of the district. Its contents appear to 

 show that it has not been derived from the Jurassic and granitic 

 rocks of Aberdeenshire, but from masses of Old Red Sandstone, now 

 perhaps removed by denudation. Only few and imperfect molluscan 

 remains, with bones of fish, aquatic birds, and seals have been 

 found in this red clay. He regards it as having been formed 

 during a period of great submergence which followed the period of 

 maximum glaciation. He finds at Cove proof of a remarkable 

 change in direction of the flow of the glacial ice. Additional proofs 

 of the submergence are found in the old beaches with shells, extend- 

 ing to heights of from 380 to 470 and even up to 560 feet above 

 the sea-level. The Mollusca occurring in these raised beaches are 

 all of living species, but now occur in arctic seas. He differs from 

 Mr. J. Geikie, who regards these deposits as of post-Glacial age and 

 of estuarine character. He concludes by describing in detail the 

 remarkable section exhibited in the Bay of Nigg. 



March 22.— J. W. Hulke, Esq., F.R.S., President, 



in the Chair. 

 The following communications were read : — 



1. " On a Fossil Species of Camptoceras, a Freshwater Mollusk, 

 from the Eocene of Sheerness." By Lieut. -Colonel H. H. Godwin- 

 Austen, F.E.S., F.G.S. 



2. " Note on the Os Pubis and Ischium of Ornithopsis eucamerotus 

 (synonyms — Eucamerotus, Hulke ; Bothriospondylus (in part), R. 

 Owen ; Chondrosteatosaurus, B. Owen)." By J. W. Hulke, Esq., 

 F.E.S., Pres.G.S. 



3. " On Neusticosaurus pusillus (Fraas), an Amphibious Reptile 

 having affinities with the terrestrial Nothosauria and with the marine 

 Plesiosauria." Py Prof. H. G. Seeley, F.R.S., F.G.S. 



April 5.— J. W. Hulke, Esq., F.R.S., President, 



in the Chair. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. "Geological Age of the Taconic System." By Prof. J. D. 

 Dana, F.M.G.S. 



The author takes exception to some remarks made before the Geo- 

 logical Society by Dr. T. Sterry Hunt on the 16th November last. 

 Dr. Sterry Hunt has thrown doubt on the results arrived at by the 

 geologists who have studied the relations of the so-called Taconic 

 strata, not in consequence of any observations of his own, but on 

 the general ground that " where newer strata are in unconformable 

 contact with older ones, the effect of lateral movements of com- 

 pression, involving the two series, is generally to cause the newer 

 and more yielding strata to dip towards, and even beneath the edge 

 of the older rock — a result due to folds, often with inversion, some- 

 times passing into faults." 



Phil Mag. S. 5. Vol. 13. No. 82. May 1882. 2 F 



