Yol.  49. j  ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS  OE  TEE  PRESIDENT.  1 33 
be  regarded  as  of  concretionary  origin  ;  when  photographed,  however, 
what  under  the  microscope  are  very  obscure  dark  spots  appear  like 
the  extremities  of  tubes  which  have  been  cut  across.  These  objects 
are  stated  to  occur  throughout  the  concentric  layers  at  short  intervals, 
and  it  is  impossible,  the  Author  thinks,  to  resist  the  idea  that  the 
apparent  concentric  layers  may  really  be  layers  of  tnbuli.  On 
perusing  these  passages,  it  is  difficult  to  avoid  inferring  that 
Mr.  Wethered  has  a  strong  inclination  to  believe  in  the  organic 
origin,  of  the  oolitic  granule  ;  but  it  should  be  remarked  that  the 
position  of  Girvanella  as  a  Foraminifer  was  not  insisted  upon,  and 
in  recent  communications  he  appears  disposed  to  take  a  more 
lowly  view  of  this  organism. 
In  his  second  paper  Mr.  W ethered  states  the  results  of  further 
examinations  of  the  different  beds  of  the  Inferior  Oolite,  whereby 
his  previous  views  as  to  the  important  part  which  Girvanella  has 
taken  in  the  formation  of  oolitic  granules  is  confirmed.  The  precise 
way  in  which  the  formation  of  the  granule  was  effected,  he  allows, 
is  not  quite  so  clear.  Some  critics  suggested  that  the  Girvanellce 
which  were  found  coating  the  nuclei  of  the  concretions  might  have 
been  derived  mechanically  from  the  calcareous  mud  of  the  sea-bed. 
As  regards  the  nature  of  Girvanella  itself  Mr.  Wethered  was  able 
to  quote  a  high  authority  to  the  effect  that  the  structure  was  cer¬ 
tainly  organic  :  there  might  be  a  doubt  as  to  whether  it  was  vege¬ 
table  or  animal,  but  the  fact  that  the  tubes  occur  in  dense  compact- 
wefts  and  never  appear  to  anastomose  seems  to  dispose  of  the  view 
that  they  belong  to  some  kind  of  perforating  Alga. 
Ehcetic. —  Mr.  Brodie  gave  an  account  of  two  sections  in  the 
Bhsetics  of  Warwickshire.  The  chief  point  of  interest  related  to  a 
possible  unconformity  ;  since  in  one  of  the  localities,  in  borings  and 
shafts,  black  Bhaetic  shales  have  been  found  resting  upon  a  denuded 
surface  of  Hew  Bed  Marl.  In  answer  to  questions,  the  Author  saw 
no  reasons  for  believing  that  the  beds  were  not  in  place,  but  the 
general  impression  of  those  who  criticized  the  paper  was  opposed  to 
the  notion  of  unconformity. 
More  recently  Mr.  Wilson  has  had  an  opportunity  of  describing 
an  excellent  section  on  the  south  side  of  Bristol,  exposed  in  a  fresh 
cutting  at  Pylle  Hill  (Totterdown).  He  observes  that  there  can 
scarcely  be  any  doubt  as  to  what  is  the  true  base  of  the  Bhastic  at 
this  place,  though  it  is  possible  there  may  be  some  difference  of 
opinion  regarding  its  upper  limit.  The  total  thickness  of  the  series 
at  this  point  is  only  17  feet,  just  half  what  it  is  at  Aust  Cliff. 
