210 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



Superior, and is composed of metarnorphic rocks and granite of the Laurentian 

 series. To the west of this follows a belt where the floor of the plateau is 

 exposed, consisting of Lower Silurian and Devonian rocks. On these rest 

 Cretaceous strata, which prevail all the way to the Rocky Mountains, overlaid 

 here and there by detached tertiary basins. 



The Rocky Mountains are composed of Carboniferous and Devonian lime- 

 stones, with massive quartzites and conglomerates, followed to the west by a 

 granitic tract which occupies the bottom of the great valley between the Rocky 

 and the Cascade Mountains. The Cascade chain is volcanic, but the volcanos 

 are now inactive ; to the west of it, along the Pacific coast, Cretaceous and 

 Tertiary strata prevail. The description of these rocks was given with con- 

 siderable detail on account of their containing a lignite, which for the first time 

 has been determined to be of Cretaceous age. This lignite, which is of very 

 superior quality, has been worked for some years past by the Hudson Bay 

 Company, and is in great demand for the steam-navy of the Pacific station, and 

 for the manufacture of gas. Extensive lignite-deposits in the Prairie were also 

 alluded to; and, like that above mentioned, were considered to be of Creta- 

 ceous age; but, besides these, there are also lignites of the Tertiary period. 



The general conclusion was that the existence of a supply of fuel in the 

 Islands of Formosa and Japan, in Vancouver's Island, in the Cretaceous strata 

 of the western shores of the Pacific, but principally within the British territory, 

 and in the plains along the Saskatchewan, will exercise a most important in- 

 fluence in considering the practicability of a route to our eastern possessions 

 through the Canadas, the Prairies, and British Columbia. 



2. " On Elevations and Depressions of the Earth in North America." By 

 Dr, A. Gesner, F.G.S. 



After some observations on the differences between volcanic uplifts of the 

 land and the slow upward and downward shiftings produced by changes in the 

 position of great parallel areas during long periods of time, the author proceeds 

 to enumerate evidences of local elevation and subsidence that he has observed 

 along the coast from the northern part of Labrador to New Jersey. 



In the south-eastern part of New Jersey, at Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, 

 and Portland, submergence of the land is proceeding, locally at the rate of 

 probably four feet in sixty years. In New Brunswick, at St. John's the land 

 lias been elevated ; at the Great Manan Island and the great Tantaman Marsh 

 there has been subsidence. At Bathurst and on the opposite coast of Lower 

 Canada the land seems to be rising. In Nova Scotia, near the Bay of Fundy and 

 Mines Basin, there is subsidence ; on the southern side, however, there are 

 signs of elevation. The sea rapidly encroaches upon Louisberg in Cape Breton, 

 and in Prince Edward's Island, also, at Cascumpec, submergence of the land is 

 taking place. 



Geologists' Association.— At the Monthly Meeting held at 5, Cavendish 

 Square, ou Monday, April 8th, the following papers were read : — 



"On the Geology of the We of Portland," by W. Grey, Esq. 

 " On the Pearls of the Greensand Sea," 7 -n tt q i -p 

 "On Fossil Pedicellarice," j B ? Han T See %> Esc l- 



On Tuesday, the 9th of April, an Excursion was made to Reigate, under the 

 guidance of the President, Prof. Temiant, and Mr. Bensted. The party pro- 

 ceeded to examine various sections showing the chalk, greensand, &e. ; and 

 then viewed a remarkable bed of Fuller's Earth, which is worked near that 

 town. 



Liverpool Geqlocicax Soctetv, March 12th, 1S61. 



The following paper was read "On the Pleistocene formation of the district 

 around Liverpool." By George H. Morton, Esq., F.G.S. 



