PROCEEDINGS OF GEOLOGICAL SOCIETIES. 



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have crossed the valley at right angles to its length, first descending a slope of 

 twenty degrees, and then ascending another of twenty-eight degrees, a gradient 

 of nearly one in two, before they could have entered the cavern. Hence it 

 appears certain either that the valley conld not then have existed, or that it 

 had been filled up with gravel which had since been cleared out. In either 

 ease the bones and flint-implements would be of such great antiquity as is con- 

 sistent with the subsequent reduction by natural causes of the valley to its 

 present physical configuration. 



Mr. Atkinson, the Asiatic traveller, in reply to some questions on the range 

 of carnivorous animals stated that he had seen the Bengal tiger preying on the 

 reindeer in its native districts. 



Admiral Fitzroy gave an interesting description of the uses made by the 

 Euegians of stone weapons in killing the guanacos (the wild Llamas), with 

 them, when these animals got their long legs entangled in the snow drifts — the 

 stones being fastened by thongs of sinew in a split stick, and the weapons thus 

 formed used like a butcher's pole-axe. 



Mr. Blagg, who had found stone-arrow-heads in Battersea fields, thought 

 they might have been in remote times flooded, and that the arrows and sling- 

 stones might have been projected from the shore at birds and other objects of 

 chase, and thus have become embedded in the mud of the lakes. 



The reply of Mr. Wright, and some remarks from the president, Mr. Botfield, 

 M.P., terminated a meeting of the liveliest and most interesting character. 



The Glasgoav Geological Exhibition. — The Society's exhibition of rocks, 

 minerals, metals, and fossils was held, as proposed, in the Merchant's Hall, in 

 December last. It was a great success, and gave much satisfaction to the 

 lovers of geological science. Great praise is due to the members of the 

 Society for the manner in which they got up this geological exhibition of plant 

 and animal life that flourished on our globe long ages past. Every forma- 

 tion, from the earliest of the metamorphic rocks to the tertiary strata, was 

 represented. The collection was divided into sections — classified according to 

 their formations ; the flora and fauna arranged in the natural order of succes- 

 sion, with printed cards, giving the names, and position of the strata in which 

 they were found. The Scotch palaeontologists must have been much gratified 

 to see so fine and numerous a collection of fossils collected by the members 

 resident in Glasgow and its neighbourhood. The limestones and shales of the 

 Coal formation must have been well explored to give such rich and varied col- 

 lections as those of Messrs. Young, Thompson, Armstrong, Crosskey, Johnston, 

 and others. The numerous drawers were filled with thousands of specimens, 

 arranged in order, and probably such a collection has never been exhibited by 

 any society of a similar character. 



The fossils of the Silurian and Old Red Sandstone formations consisted of 

 specimens of Graptolites, Trilobites, shells, and fish-remains, principally from 

 Scottish strata. There were some fourteen species of Graptolites (exhibited 

 by Mr. Steven) one species of which had been hitherto unknown in Scotland : 

 these early records of fossil-life were one of the marked features of this 

 interesting exhibition. Dr. Slimon, of Lesmahagow, exhibited some of his fine 

 specimens of Crustacea from the Upper Silurian beds of that district. A very 

 fine large slab from the upper Old Red Sandstone of Dura Den was also ex- 

 hibited, and from the number of fish-remains on its surface it excited great 



fishes, were fine and numerous, being the joint produce of several valuable pri- 

 vate collections, and occupying the whole of two or three tables, some seventy 

 feet in length. In these collections were many rare specimens from the coal- 

 fields of the west of Scotland, several of them being new to Scottish strata, 

 and one or two altogether so to science. 



attention. The Carboniferous 



