British Association for the Advancement of Science. 473 



incumbent to them, save some blocks of Cumbrian origin, and 

 which alone may be referred to what is called a diluvian origin. 

 These shells are the Buccinum undatum, Purpura lapillus, Triton 

 macula, Miirex erinaceus^ Fusus hamffius, and Turritella terehra, of 

 Fleming. Turbo littorius, and terehra, Cardium echinatum, Mactra 

 solida, Dentalium striatum, &c. &c. and Mr. R. C. Taylor has re- 

 marked, that their appearance is fresher, and more like recent 

 marine shells found on the beach, than even those of the Suffolk 

 Crag, which has hitherto been considered the most recent de- 

 posit. Many of them were embedded in, and filled with marl, 

 as if it had always been their natural bed. 



Mr. Murchison having made York one of the points of a very 

 extensive geological excursion, had just examined the north- 

 western coast of Lancashire. His account of this interesting 

 district was listened to with great interest. The inference he 

 drew, was, that the beds, containing these quasi recent shells^ do 

 not belong to the class called by some geologists diluvial, although 

 the deposits have an analogous appearance, but that they have 

 been raised from the bottom of the sea, to their present elevation, 

 almost within historical times ; at any rate, subsequent to the 

 appearance of the same marine mollusca, which now inhabit the 

 Irish channel. This is a branch of geology in which Mr. Mur- 

 chison is pre-eminently skilled, and his opinions on the subject 

 are entitled to great consideration. These conclusions will 

 probably be found applicable to other parts of the coast, and 

 perhaps to many parts of Yorkshire. We are of opinion that 

 Mr. Phillips, when he publishes another edition of his excellent 

 work, will find it expedient to modify his diluvial opinions. Facts 

 of a like nature have been observed in Sicily by Mr. Lyell, and 

 recently by Dr. Turnbull Christie. This gentleman has ob- 

 served upon the flanks of Mount Grifone, — an elevated mountain 

 of dolomitic limestone, — the following subdivision of the deposit, 

 which once would have been called diluvial. We use the de- 

 scending order. 



Blocks of limestone. 



Bone breccia, with cave bones. 



Pebbles and sands, with existing shells. 



Upper sub-appenine, with many existing shells. 

 The inference set up is, that the bone breccia has been washed 

 down anciently into the sea, and that all the beds have subse- 

 VoL, L~60 



4 



