572 Meeting of the British Association. [Oct., 



proof of contemporaneous volcanic rocks amongst the Secondary 

 formations of Britain, save in the red sandstone of Devonshire, 

 described by Sir H. de la Beche." The dyke here described must 

 be referred in all probability to the Secondary Period. 



Of the papers relating to Palaeontology, one of the most valu- 

 able was that read by Dr. H. A. Nicholson, " On the nature and 

 systematic position of the Graptolitidae." The affinities of a family 

 of animals of which we have no living representatives will, in all 

 probability, remain a vexed question amongst naturalists. Pro- 

 fessor Huxley places them amongst the Polyzoa, of the class 

 " Molluscoida." Professor Owen amongst the Hijdrozoa. The 

 researches of Dr. Nicholson leads him to the conclusion that the 

 family forms a link between the fixed and oceanic Hijdrozoa, and 

 in this view he appeared to be supported by Sir P. Egerton. As 

 this paper will probably be published in extenso in some scientific 

 periodical, it must be left to speak for itself. Mr. H. Woodward 

 presented his third report on the fossil Crustacea, describing several 

 new forms, a number of fine specimens of which were exhibited by 

 Mr. Powrie, of Keswallie, and by Mr. B. Slimon. Mr. W. Car- 

 ruthers gave the results of his investigations on fossil Cyca&ese at 

 Equisitacese. 



Much interest was excited when Dr. Oldham, F.B.S., exhibited 

 a large map showing the progress of the Geological Survey of India, 

 and explained the order Of succession of the formations of that part 

 of the British Empire, and their correlation with those of Europe. 

 Considering the enormous extent of territory, the smallness of the 

 staff of surveyors, and the physical difficulties to be encountered, 

 the extent of country completed within the last fifteen years is sur- 

 prising. According to Dr. Oldham's views the age of the Indian 

 coal-fields, the whole of which are included between the parallels 

 of 20° and 25° N. is Upper Carboniferous, of a rather later 

 stage than that of the true Coal-measures of Britain, and more 

 closely allied to the " fern-coal " series of Silesia. We have some 

 doubts as to the correctness of this view, at least of the age of the 

 Silesian coal-fields, which are known to rest on limestones contain- 

 ing large Producti and other fossils of the Carboniferous Limestone. 

 Without entering farther on this inquiry, we here subjoin a brief 

 summary of the formations of the Indian Peninsula, as described 

 by Dr. Oldham, in ascending order : — 



1. Laurentian ? Granitoid Gneiss — highly metamorphic, and 



traversed by innumerable trap dykes. This is the floor 

 of all the other formations. 



2. Quartzose, micaceous, and hornblendic rocks — much con- 



torted. 



3. Lower Silurian, or Cambrian. — Sub-metamorphic schists 



