13G 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



may be obtained for tbe period since man's creation from some of these manu- 

 scripts ; and I believe also that Mr. P. Clinton stated that there was no pre- 

 ponderant rate of authority for the manuscripts which had been followed by the 

 authors of our Bible translation. The Septuagint translation, e.g., was founded 

 on a different set of manuscripts ; and I think also that Josephus is said to 

 have had some quite different from ours. I write only from recollection, not 

 having the books at hand to refer to ; but I am sure of this point, that on the 

 authority of some of the manuscripts of the Bible, a much longer period may 

 have elapsed than the six thousand years which are generally received. I con- 

 ceive that the possibility of such an extension of time might extend also the 

 probability of man's having been coeval with even the mammoth. — I am, Sir, 

 Yours obediently, (TheBev.) S. C. 



Provincial Geological Museums. — Sir, — I was well pleased to see the 

 remarks of E. Charlesworth, P.G.S., in reference to Professor Porbes sugges- 

 tions for establishing "Educational Museums." I presume there is scarcely a 

 Geological Society in the kingdom but has a nucleus, at least, of a museum in 

 tlie shape of one or more cabinets of " specimens," collected from the various 

 strata of their surrounding districts. What we students of Geology now re- 

 quire is to have published in your excellent magazine a list of all the Geological 

 Societies of the kingdom, and a list of the specimens collected in their separate 

 districts. There would Idc no difficulty in obtaining this information, if you, 

 sir, suggested to the secretary of each geological society to forward to you a 

 short account of their local strata, &c., and the fossils found therein. By the 

 publication of such information, the readers of your magazine would become 

 acquainted with a circle of fossil districts, would know to what society they 

 should write for exchanges, or what spot to visit to enrich their cabinets or 

 local museums ; a friendly feeling would be generated amongst the various 

 geological associations, and considerable practical information obtained. We 

 cannot expect that societies will give up independent movements since they 

 must be guided m some measure by local circumstances ; but if the teachers of 

 geological science would lay do^vn a practical plan for the formation of pro- 

 vincial geological museums and mutual co-operation, I have no doubt but that 

 the various associations would at once act upon the suggestions. — Yours 

 faithfully, G. HoRNER, Glasgow. We concur in the desirableness of the publi- 

 cation of the lists suggested by our correspondent, and shall be obliged to the 

 various secretaries and members of institutions and societies for the necessary 

 information. 



Quaternary Geology. — An interesting discussion occurred at the ordinary 

 nieeting of the French Geological Society, on November 7th, which is reported 

 in the Bullet in for January last. M. Gaudiw produced specimens which he 

 had recently dug from the diluvium in the neighbourhood of Amiens. He 

 stated that he liad found axes nearly in contact with fossil mammalian bones, 

 together with small pierced balls, which M. lligoUet considered to be necklace 

 beads, Init which did not witli certainty show traces of hiunan art. Li reply 

 to a qvuislion from M. d'Arehiac, M. Gaudry said the axes were not all found 

 lying horizontally but at various inclinations and mostly together. M. 

 D(\suoyors confirmed these statements having aided in the explorations, and 

 (explained that many of the implements were formed from rolled pebbles. He 

 eousidered the deposit to be a fluviatile one; it contained, in beds of sand 

 inters! rat ificnl with the gravel, Cvclades, iYncylus, Paludina, and Limna^a, and 

 ("'V'hl no< bo due to tumultuous c;uises. M*. d'Orbigny cited an instance at 

 l>ieiMre of a dihivial gravel bed capped by a fluviatile sand under the Loess. 

 M. Desnoyers explained the fluviatile character of the deposit by its occurrence 

 at the roulluenee of a side valley with tlie Somme, and maintained that the 

 mammalian bones had been rolled, which 11. Jourdain also stated was the case. 



