08 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



freshwater lakes, which arose from glaciers damming the mouths of the 

 valleys aDd reversing their drainage, at a date subsequent to that of the 

 great land-glaciation of Scotland, owing to a re-extension of the glaciers 

 after the chief submergence of the Drift period. 



February 4>tk. — 1. " On a Hvama-den at Wookey Hole, near "Wells." — 

 Ko. II. By W. Boyd Dawkins, Esq., B.A., F.G.S., of the Geological 

 Survey of Great Britain. 



The former but partial exploration of this cave by the author convinced 

 him of the desirability of a more rigorous examination, the details of which 

 were given in this paper, with a Table of the species of Mammalia whose 

 remains were met with, showing the distribution of the teeth and bones in 

 the several parts of the cave, and also a statement of the general results 

 arrived at. A consideration of the distribution of the remains in the 

 cavern and their close juxtaposition to the roof, coupled with the fact that 

 the flint and chert implements discovered were found in much lower posi- 

 tions, led Mr. Dawkins to infer that the bones had been dragged in by 

 hyamas, and that the cave had been subjected to periodical inundations of 

 waters laden with red mud, whereby the bones had been elevated by 

 degrees until they occupied their present position. After a detailed 

 description of the bones, the author concluded by some general remarks 

 upon the bearing of this cave-fauna upon the ancient physical geography 

 of the district, and the antiquity of the associated implements of human 

 manufacture. 



2. " On the discovery of Paradoxides in Britain." By J. W. Salter, Esq., 

 F.G.S., of the Geological Survey of Great Britain. 



A short sojourn in the neighbourhood of St. David's enabled Mr. Salter 

 to discover, at Porth-rhaw, near Whitchurch, on the St. David's road, a 

 gigantic Trilobite belonging to a genus which has been long sought for in 

 the British Isles. The author gave a short description of the geological 

 features of the localhy, and a section showing the succession of beds 

 belonging to the Primordial Zone in Wales, as well as a diagnosis of the 

 newly-discovered Trilobite, which he named Paradoxides Davidi. 



3. "On the Fossil Echinidse of Malta." By Thomas Wright, M.D., 

 F.G.S. With ]>J"otes on the Miocene Beds of the Island, by A. Leith 

 Adams, A.M., M.B. (22nd Begiment.)- 



The Echinoderms, described in this paper by Dr. Wright, were dis- 

 covered by Dr. Leith Adams, during a careful examination of the strata and 

 geological features of Malta. A description of the miocene beds was given 

 by the latter gentleman, in which he stated his reasons for not accepting 

 entirely the classification of them proposed by Captain Spratt, and fol- 

 lowed by Earl Ducie in his Ge logical Map of the Maltese Islands. He 

 divided the miocene strata into the following subdivisions : — L. The Upper 

 Lin.otoiK- , 2. The Sand Bed: 3. The Marl ; 4. The Calcareous Sand- 

 stone ; 5. The Lower Limestone ; and again subdivided the L'pper Lime- 

 stone into three parts. Dr. Wright gave a diagnosis and detailed descrip- 

 tion of forty species of Echinidse, eighteen of which are new ; and Dr. 

 Ada:n> added a Table showing their strati graphical distribution. 



Fi bruary 2 )th. — The anniversary meeting at Somerset House was rather 

 thinly attended. Tlie obituary notices included the names of Trench, 

 Leonhard. Kev. J. Cumming. Bronn, Bertrand de Doue, J. C. JSesbit, 

 and the Marquis of Breadalbane. The Wollaston gold medal was awarded 

 to Prof Gusiav Bisclioil", of Bonn, for his work 'on Chemical Geology; 

 the W ollaston fund to Professor Senft, of Eisenach, to assist him in his 

 labours in the classification of rocks. " His work on that subject," 

 the president remarked, " was of high esteem in Germany, and would no 



