1865.] Geology and Paleontology. 299 



Secretary, and it contains three very good papers — by Mr. Morton 

 (the Secretary), Mr. Hicks (of Paradoxides fame), and Mr. Davies (of 

 Oswestry). The Glasgow Geological Society publishes a similar 

 volume, and full reports of the meetings are also sent to local 

 newspapers ; this is one of the reorganized Societies, and has at 

 least one good feature peculiar to itself, namely, the delivery of 

 monthly " Lectures," in addition to holding the usual ordinary meet- 

 ings. We have read the Report of Dr. Machattie's Lecture, " On 

 Metamorphism, with special reference to the chemical changes in 

 Rocks," with a great deal of pleasure, and we cannot help thinking 

 the Glasgow geologists remarkably fortunate, especially if the Lectures 

 are always as good as this one. Mr. Dougall's paper, " On ancient 

 sea-margins aroimd Glasgow," read at the previous meeting, is cer- 

 tainly above the average in merit and care. The Dudley and Midland 

 Geological Society is also of recent formation, and its " Proceedings," 

 which we acknowledged in our last Number, will be dealt with on a 

 future occasion along with those of other provincial societies. 



The Royal Geological Society of Ireland, and the Geological 

 Society of Edinburgh cannot properly be called provincial societies ; 

 but the last Number of the Journal of the former, then known as the 

 Geological Society of Dublin, contains a paper which deserves special 

 notice. This paper is by Mr. Sterry Hunt, and is " On the Chemical 

 and Mineralogical Relations of Metamorphic Rocks." The interest- 

 ing question discussed is, " Whether, in the absence of organic re- 

 mains, or of stratigraphical evidence, there exists any means of 

 determining, even approximately, the geological age of a given series 

 of crystalline stratified rocks ; in other words, whether the chemical 

 conditions, which have presided over the formation of sedimentary 

 rocks, have so far varied, in the course of ages, as to impress upon these 

 rocks marked chemical and mineralogical differences." This is cer- 

 tainly one of the largest questions that could possibly be opened out 

 for discussion. Are metamorphic rocks characterized by minerals as 

 unaltered rocks are by fossils ? Most people would very readily give 

 an answer in the negative without being able to support their opinion 

 by facts of importance. But, on the other hand, Mr. Sterry Hunt 

 brings forward a sufficient number of facts to prove that the subject is 

 a fair one for inquiry. No one now believes in unmeaning coin- 

 cidences, though it would be difficult to prove, or even to suggest, a 

 rational interpretation of very many of them. The author's suggestion 

 seems, however, to promise well, and we hope that investigators will 

 keep the problem in mind. What is meant, for instance, by the 

 similarity of the blue crystalline Labradorite of the Upper Laurentian 

 rocks of Canada to the similar mineral occurring in Skye, if not con- 

 temporaneity of the rocks in which they occur ? Again, many serpen- 

 tines in distant countries agree in containing chrome and nickel, 

 while others, as those of the Scandinavian primitive gneiss formation, 

 are destitute of those minerals ; now there is sufficient collateral evi- 

 dence to render probable the synchronism of the former group, while 

 the latter is known to be much more ancient, so that here we seem to 

 have a case in point. Still, it must be remembered, that isolated 



VOL. II. Y 



