554 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
several drift beds of the Severn Valley, which, from the elevation of the marl 
bank of Kyall Hill, were explained in a most lucid manner, by Mr. Symonds, 
and their distinguishing contents mentioned. He first described the for- 
mation of tlie original drifts upon the bed of the primfeval sea, and then passed 
in review tlie successive gravelly beds, vrith their contents, the hollowing out 
of the valley, the estuarine and lake ]ieriods, down to the Severn of the present 
day. He also pointed out how the drift beds at Ryall Hill were ideutified with 
those on the western heights, though their continuity had long ago been cut 
off. In furtherance of the examination, the walk was continued to the Barley 
House on the side of the Severn, where the river was crossed, and an inter- 
mediate drift deposit viewed. The route was then continued to the ancient 
Manor House of Holdfast, where Mr, Henry Stone exhibited various remark- 
able bones and teeth from the caverns of Somersetshire. The President said 
he had received an invitation for the club to go to Warvrick iu February next, 
and he thought he might properly give the usual annual addi'css there, when 
both clubs were together, but it was ultimately determined that Malvern 
should be selected as a more accessible place than AYarwick to most members. 
Dr. Grindrod offered the use of Towusend House for the assemblage of the 
club, where he had accommodation for a large audience. The subject of the 
next year's meetings being introduced, the Rev. R. P. Hill proposed the May 
meeting to be at Ledbury, examining the country thence to Bromsberrow. 
This invitation was accepted amidst general applause. 
A grant was made to republish the erudite paper of the President on the 
Geology of the Worcester and Hereford Railway, from the Edinburgh New 
Philosophical Journal, that its contents might be more extensively circulated. 
Manchester Geological Society. — The twenty-third amiual meeting was 
held October 31st, 18G1. E. W. Binney, Esq., E.R.S., E.G.S, Vice-President, 
in the chair, when the usual reports were read : — 
Since the last meeting the keys to tlie cases in whicli the collection is kept, 
have been deliveacd to the Curators jointly with the special Curators of the 
iS'atural History Society. The collection is therefo.ie again .n proper custody, 
and to this extent the Society is reinstated in its rights. 
The whole collection has been cleaned and put iu order, in which labour great 
assistance has been received from Mr. James Parker. 
The ]\ruseum is not so rich in local specimens as it ouglit to be. As a ge- 
neral collection it is undoubtedly a good one ; but with the assistance of tlie 
members, it can be made one of the tirst collections of carboniferous fossils in 
the country. Attention was particularly directed to the Peel Delph, and other 
localities where the Peel building stone is quarried, for the purpose of collect- 
ing ihe fossil plants with which this rock abounds. They are not compressed 
and flattened as is the case in most sandstone rocks, and as specimens, are not 
excelled by those of any other coal-field. 
The collection is destitute of Lancashire Silurian fossils, and very poor in 
Permian, Triassic and Pleistocene specimens. 
Tha report expresssd the hope that the Council for the ensuing year; and 
the members will obtain the desiderata mentioned, and thus make the coUec^ 
tiou as complete and instructive ao so important and populous a city of Man- 
chester requires. 
Since the last annual meeting the society has continued, as for a few years 
past, to increase iu numbers, no less than twenty-seven new members having 
been admitted in the course of twelve mouths. 
Diu-ing the past Session the following papers were read before the Society : — 
1. Obscrvatious o]i Down Holland Moss." By E. W. Biimey, Esq. 
2. "On Jelly-peat, a kind of Peat found at Cliurchtowu, near" Southporl 
By E. W. Binuey, Esq. 
