116 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



geological formations do the Himalaya mountains belong ? Whether there is 

 evidence of the geological period of their upheaval, and has there been any 

 organic remains discovered upon them ? The same questions with reference ta 

 the Andes. 1 have heard the word ' Gneiss ' pronounced in so many dilferent 

 ways by eminent men, that I should be obliged if you would give the pronouncia- 

 tion adopted generally by geologists. If you will refer me to works in which I 

 can find solutions to" the above questions I shall be satisfied." — The Himalaya 

 Mountains comprise an axis of crystalline schists traversed by granite-veins, 

 on the northern flank of which are clay-slates, palaeozoic rocks, and secondary 

 fossiliferous formations, including Oxford-oolite and Muschelkalk. These 

 are succeeded by the great elevated Tertiary plains of Thibet. On the south 

 side, secondary and tertiary deposits lie against the schists, and are flanked by the 

 well-known Siwalik Hills of Miocene age and the Pleistocene beds of the plains of 

 India. Of the evidences of upheaval, we may conclude that, as the tertiary beds 

 have suffered with the other rocks, the latest movements of elevation must have 

 been after the period of their formation. Organic remains occur in the Oxfordian 

 beds at a very high elevation in these mountains. — The Andes : Mr. Darwin, in his 

 remarks on South America, in the " Voyage of the Beagle," says that the Tertiary 

 rocks of the Andes have not only suffered in the elevatory movement, but have been 

 also greatly altered by the eruptive rocks that have been agents in the uplift. 

 Hence the latest elevations in the range are also subsequent to the formation ©f 

 the older Tertiary rocks. — The word " Gneiss " is pronounced very nearly like our 

 English word " nice the exception being the slightest indication of the letter 

 " g." This would be in accordance with the German pronunciation. J. H. W. 

 will also find information on his geological questions in several popular works, 

 such as "Mantell's Wonders," " Lyell's Manual," &c. 



Under what circumstances does allophane occur in this country ? — Z. 



I have sometimes seen mention of gold being found in Wales. Can you inform me 

 in what district and under what conditions it is there met with ? — G. S. 



Answers to Geologist (Worcester) ; X.Y.Z. (Dublin) ; W. S. (Bristol) ; E. K. J. 

 (Farnborough) ; E. A. W. (Weston-Super-Mare) ; X. Y. ; A Young Enquirer ; Notes 

 by EpiK ; and many others, are in type, but cannot be printed in this number for 

 want of space. 



EEPORTS OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF GEOLOGICAL 

 SOCIETIES. 



Geological Society of London. — At the meeting of this society, February S, 

 1858, a very important communication was read "On the Succession of Rocks 

 in the Northern Highlands, from the oldest Gneiss, through strata of Cambrian 

 and Lower Silurian age, to the Old Red Sandstone inclusive," by Sir R. I. 

 Murchison, F R.S., V.P.G.S. 



In this paper a general sketch was given of the succession of the stratified rock- 

 masses occupying the noithevnmost counties of Scotland (Sutherland, Caithness, 

 and Ross), as determined by former observations of Prof. Sedgwick and Sir 

 R. I. Murchison, and by those of MaccuUoch, Jameson, Cunningham, Miller, and 

 Nicol, as well as by the recent discoveries of Mr. Peach. In the commencement, 

 Sir Roderick, having referred to the long-held opinion that the great mountainous 

 masses of red conglomerate and sandstone of the west coast were detached portions 

 of the Old Red Sandstone, alluded to Mr. C. Peach's discovery (in 1854) of 

 organic remains in the limestone of Durness, which led Sir Roderick to revisit 

 the Iii.j:hl:in.l^, accompanied by Prof. Nicol, when having found more fossils, he 

 expressed lii.s conviction, at the British Association, Glasgow Meeting, 1851, 



