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 to 
the Andes. I have heard the vf ord ' Gneiss ' pronounced in so many different 
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 1 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 Musohelkalk. 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 uiiheaval, 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 of 
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. 
REPORTS OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF GEOLOGICAL 
SOCIETIES. 
Geological Society of London. — At the meeting of this society, February 3, 
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 li.S., V.P.G.S. 
In this paper a general sketch was given of the succession of the stratified rock- 
masses occupying the noithernmost counties of Scotland (Sutherland, Caithness, 
and Ross), as detei-mined by former observations of Prof Sedgwick and Sir 
R. I. Murchison, and by those of Macculloch, Jameson, Cunningham, Miller, and 
Nicol, as well as by the recent discoveries of Mr. Peach. In the commencement. 
Sir Roderick, having i-eferred to the long-held opinion that the great mountainous 
masses of red congloraprate and sandstone of the west coast were detached portions 
of the Old Red Sandstone, alluded to Mr. C. Peach's discovery (in 18-54) of 
organic remains in the limestone of Durness, which led Sir Roderick to revisit 
the Highlands, accompanied by Prof. Nicol, when having found more fossils, he 
expressed his conviction, at the British Association, Glasgow Mooting, 1854, 
