Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 67 



high-water mark, the raised beach indicating a depression of from 

 5 to 10 feet and a subsequent elevation of more than that amount, 

 during a pause in which the lower beach was formed. The further 

 elevation of the coast was sufficient to favour the growth of forests 

 furnishing the peaty bed, Avhich a subsequent subsidence has brought 

 down to its present level. Greenway cliffs consist of grey slates, 

 resting against which, in two places, are old consolidated blown 

 sands ; about 5 feet above high-water mark is a raised beach, near 

 which the face of the cliff consists of "head" capped by gravel. 

 The author discussed the relative ages of these deposits, and in- 

 clined to regard the gravel as a fluviatile deposit, and the stony 

 loam or " head" as an ancient talus or flood-gravel, both deposited 

 before the raised beach. 



3. The Pleistocene History of Cornwall." By W. A. E. Ussher, 

 Esq., E.G.S. 



In the first part of this paper the author, from his own observa- 

 tions and the writings of other geologists, gave detailed descriptions 

 of the various superficial deposits of Cornwall as exposed in nume- 

 rous coast-sections. 



In the second part he discussed the relative ages of these deposits, 

 for which he proposed the following classification : — 



1. The oldest beds described are patches of quartzose gravel, 

 found up to 400 feet above the present sea-level ; these are regarded 

 by the author as of fluviatile origin, and as being possibly redeposited 

 Tertiary beds. Their age may be any thing between Cretaceous 

 and Glacial. 



2. Boulder. gravels, from 40 to 50 feet above sea-level. 



3. Baised beaches, up to 15 feet above sea-level. 



4. Old blown sand closely associated with the raised beaches. 



5. " Head " or talus of angular fragments lying upon the raised 

 beaches, and therefore of younger date than the latter. 



6. Stream-tin gravels, evidently older than the forest stratum. 



7. Submerged forests, evidently occupying a long period subse- 

 quent to the deposition of the stream-tin gravels. 



8. Becent marine and fluviatile deposits. 



In conclusion he remarked on the paucity of superficial deposits 

 in Cornwall, the absence of evidence of glacial conditions, and the 

 proofs of great changes in the level of the area. 



X. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



ON THE FIGURE OF THE PLANET MARS. 



LETTER FROM PROFESSOR H. HENNESST. 

 lyr A MIGrUES published in 1874, in the Comptes Bendus of 

 IfJ. • rL th e Academy (vol. lxxviii. p. 1556), a memorandum 

 on the Configuration of the planet Mars, which seems to me to 

 verify completely some results at which I arrived some time ago. 

 The author says : — 



