Geological Society. 291 



high scientific knowledge. The immediately practical advantages 

 of the science, rather than its theoretical and gradually available- 

 results, are mostly aimed at hy Colonial Governments, with their 

 new-world notions of forcing a harvest, whether of trade, minerals, 

 politics, or crops, with the impatience of " Teutonic gold-diggers " 

 rather than the unhurried seeking of small profits by the gradually 

 enriched Chinaman. 



Hence the best geological intellects in the Colony are directly 

 applied to the determination of gold-fields, the examination of coal- 

 seams, and the proving of minerals, rather than to the slower map- 

 ping of soils and strata, and description of the physical geography 

 of the region, whether it be agricultural, pastoral, or mineral, or 

 combining two or more of these characters. 



Geology, however, gives good results, in whatever direction its 

 chief aim is temporarily directed ; and though hurried from mine 

 to mine, the educated Surveyor observes and notes the conditions 

 and structure of the country traversed, and spreads his knowledge 

 as he goes. The connecting rocks between rich spots, the runs 

 or leads of drifted material rich with gold, the origin of the drift, 

 the lie and direction of wealthy veins, and the nature of ores must 

 all be studied in relation to our knowledge of similar phenomena 

 elsewhere. The merely local observer and the provincial wiseacre 

 are sure to lead their little world astray with crude notions, false 

 conclusions, and insane crochets. Hence the policy and wisdom of 

 the Colonial Government in doing the best they can to ensure their 

 districts being duly geologized as far as circumstances permit. 



That an enlightened policy supports the New-South-Wales Survey 

 and gets good results the present and preceding Reports fully show. 

 Though taking specially a local mining aspect they are rich with 

 matter that will help to advance Geology and Mineralogy, both 

 practical and theoretical. 



The details of the coal-seams and their produce, and of the gold- 

 works, copper- mines, opal-diggings, &c., are of especial value ; and 

 in "view of the present scarcity of gold, to which our commercial 

 depression is now said to be largely due, it is agreeable to note that 

 the Government Geologist, Mr. Wilkinson, is sanguine as to new 

 discoveries of Australian gold-fields. 



XL VI. Proceedings of Learned Societies. 

 GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 [Continued from p. 216.] 



Feb. 5, 1879.— Henry Clifton Sorby, Esq., F.R.S., President, in the 



Chair. 

 THHE following communications were read : — 

 -*- 1. " On the Occurrence of Pebbles with TJpper-Ludlow Fossils 

 in the Lower Carboniferous Conglomerates of North Wales." By . 

 Aubrey Strahan,Esq.,MA.,F.G.S.,andAlfred O.Walker, Esq.,F.L.S. 

 The authors described the mode of occurrence near Abergele of 

 certain Lower Carboniferous conglomerates, best exposed in Ffernant 



