70 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



dykes, and seldom rise to more than a few feet over the medium level. 

 From the mouths of the Yang-tze to tbe walls of Peking, along the 

 Grand Canal, there scarcely occurs a rising ground, and the soil is so soft 

 and muddy that it has been all but impossible to form a carriage-road in 

 the British settlement of Shanghai. 



In a general view of the geology of China, the country would appear to 

 be divided into two districts, one consisting of the provinces of Quantung, 

 Quang-si, and the southern portions of Yunnan, the other of the northern 

 portions of Yunnan and the provinces lying northwards. They appear to 

 be divided by the range of mountains running W. and E. through Yunnan, 

 and terminating eastward in the Me-ling range, across which the road 

 from Canton to Hankow passes at a considerable elevation. South of this 

 line the rocks appear to be more of the metamorphic character, and to 

 contain little if any coal, whilst to the north they are much less altered, 

 and contain abundant stores of mineral fuel. 



Ebeatum. — In the editor's article on Arehasopteryx, p. 6, for "Miocene 

 Rocks of Bonn, as well as in Braunkohl, near Aix," read " Miocene rock 

 near Aix, as well as in the Braunkohl of Bonn." 



PROCEEDINGS OE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETIES. 



Geological Society. — January 1 'th. — "On the Lower Carboniferous 

 Brachiopoda of .Nova Scotia." By T. Davidson, Esq., E.R.S., E.G.S. 



The age of these beds was first clearly determined by Sir C. Lyell, and 

 the author proceeded to point out the affinities of the entire Carboniferous 

 formation to the Permian, and observed that many species, especially of 

 Brachiopoda, are common to both formations. He combated the idea of a 

 universal extinction of species at the close of the Palaeozoic epoch, on the 

 ground that some Palaeozoic species pass upwards into Mesozoic strata ; 

 ami then, after remarking upon the vagueness of the term ' species,' pro- 

 ceeded to show that science was not yet in a condition to enable us to test 

 satisfactorily, by observation, the value of Mr. Darwin's theory of descent 

 \\ ith modification. Mr. Davidson then remarked that the Lower Carboni- 

 ferous Brachiopoda of Nova Scotia were smaller than the same or repre- 

 sentative species occurring in contemporaneous strata in other parts of the 

 \\ oi ld : and he concluded by giving diagnoses of the species determined by 

 him, and comparing his list of species with that given by Sir C. Lyell in 

 his ' Travels in North America.' 



2. ( >u l lie Gravels and other superficial Deposits of Ludlow, Hereford, 

 and Skipton." By T. Curley, Esq., C.E., F.G.S. 



In describing some plans and sections taken during the progress of drain- 

 age-works in Ludlow, Hereford, and Skipton, the' author mentioned the 

 existence, near Ludlow, of two kinds of gravel, haviug a difference of level 

 of about LOO feet, described three terraces of a like nature, about 30 or 40 

 feel aparl vertically, in the vicinity of Hereford, and then noticed similar 

 deposits near Skipton. Mr. Curley considers the majority of these gravel- 

 beds to be of lacustrine origin. 



M LNCHBSTEB Geological Society. — November 26th. — An account was 



iven of the excursion to Halifax, Hipperholme, Lightcliffe, and Low 



[oor, on the 3rd of September, with the Geological Society of the West 

 Riding of Yorkshire, by E. W. Binney, Esq., E.K.S., V.P. The Natural 

 Historj Society's Museum, at Halifax^ was visited. It contains the finest 

 examples of Goniatites, Nautilus, Orihoeeras, and Aviculopecten, from 



