Captain Spratt on the Bone-caves in the Island of Malta. 321 



must have served as a means of migration for the cave-fauna. The 

 submerged lands are indicated by the " Adventure Bank," between 

 Tunis and Sicily ; and by the " Medina Bank," a ridge connecting 

 the south-east of Malta with Tripoli. An upheaval of about 200 

 fathoms would render both banks dry, with the exception of one or 

 two narrow channels, which would not impede the larger animals 

 from passing from one continent to the other at the seasonable 

 times for migration. 



2. " On the Lower Lias of the North-east of Ireland." By Ralph 

 Tate, Esq., A.L.S., F.G.S. 



The author described the Lias of Ireland as consisting of (1) the 

 Avicula-contorta series, including a well-developed zone of Avicula 

 conlorta and the White Lias; (2) the Lower Lias, embracing the 

 equivalents to the zones of Ammonites planorbis, A. angulatus, and 

 A. Bucklandi of Great Britain, and a fourth zone (that of Belem- 

 nites acutus), representing that portion of the Lower Lias superior 

 to the zone of Ammonites Bucklandi. 



Mr. Tate stated that the principal portion of the Lias belongs to 

 the zone of Avicula contorta, and that the greater portion of the 

 Lower Lias is comprised in the zone of Ammonites angulatus. The 

 remarkable and isolated mass of metamorphosed Lias at Portrush 

 was referred to the " Planorbis series." 



3. " On the fossiliferous development of the zone of Ammonites 

 angulatus in Great Britain." By Ralph Tate, Esq., A.L.S., F.G.S. 



In this paper the author recorded the discovery of a fauna, 

 hitherto imperfectly known in this country, characterizing beds 

 below the Limestone-series of the Lower Lias. It is exceedingly 

 rich in fossils. Cephalopoda are few in number (about 8 species) ; 

 Gasteropoda are very numerous and characteristic, there being about 

 50 species, the majority of which are new to Great Britain ; the 

 Corals are abundant and peculiar. 



Ammonites angulatus was stated to occur at various places in 

 Ireland; at Marton, Lincolnshire; in Warwickshire; in North 

 Gloucestershire ; at Brocastle and Sutton, in Glamorganshire ; and 

 in Dorsetshire. 



The author further communicated the results of a critical ex- 

 amination of the. Sutton-Stone fossils, which are : — (1) that the 

 majority of the species are well-known Liassic forms of the con- 

 tinent, and occur in other parts of Great Britain ; (2) that they 

 incompletely represent the fauna of the zone of Ammonites angu- 

 latus ; and (3) that the Sutton Stone is lithologically and palaeonto- 

 logically identical with the " Calcaire de Valogne," the stratigra- 

 phical relations of which have been well determined. 



4. " On the Rhostic Beds near Gainsborough." By F. M. Burton, 

 Esq., F.G.S. 



Beds of the Rha?tic series were stated to occur at Lea, two miles 

 to the south of Gainsborough, and were described as consisting of 

 more or less indurated and highly micaceous sandstones, alternating 

 with black shaly clays, and containing two bone-beds. 



The fossils are very abundant, and are those which are usually met 



