32 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
4. " Geological Xotes on tlie Locality in Siberia where Fossil Fishes 
and Estherise were found by Dr. Middendorf." By C. E. Austin, Esq., 
C.E., F.G.S. 
5. "Note on JEstheria Middendorfii." By Professor T. Hupert Jones, 
F.G.S. 
Two ancient stone axes from Trinidad, and one from Santa Cruz, were 
exhibited by J. Lamont, Esq., F.G.S. 
December 17th. — 1. " On the Skiddaw Slate Series." By Professor 
H. Harkness ; with a note on the Graptolites, by Mr. J. ^Y. Salter. 
Some general sections through the Skiddaw Slates were described in 
detail, and the localities in which fossils had been previously found by 
Professor Sedgwick were especially noticed. The author stated that he 
had discovered several species of Graptolites new to the Skiddaw Slates 
in certain flaggy beds almost devoid of cleavage, which occur at intervals 
in the lower portion of the series, in several localities. Professor Harkness 
showed that these rocks were much more fossiliferous than had hitherto 
been supposed ; and that the evidence of the fossils, as interpreted by 
Mr. Salter, clearly proved them to be of the same age as the Lower 
Llandeilo rocks of Wales and the Quebec Group of Canada. The thick- 
ness of the Skiddaw Slates was estimated at 7000 feet, and the total thick- 
ness from the base of the Skiddaw Slates to the Coniston limestone at 
14,000 feet. Besides several species of well-known Graptolites that are 
also found in the Lower Llandeilo rocks and in the Quebec Group 
(Taconic System), Mr. Salter has been enabled to identif}^ Phyllograpsus 
angustifoUum, Hall, Tetragrapsus hryonoides, Hall, and another species of 
that genus, DicJiograpsus SedgwicJci, n. sp., Didymograpsiis caduceus, and 
some others. He has given the name of Caryocaris Wriglitn to a Crus- 
tacean discovered in these rocks by Mr. Wright. Mr. Salter considers 
the Skiddaw Slates to be of the same age as the Quebec Group, the 
graptolitiferous rocks of Melbourne, and the Tremadoc Slates of AYales. 
2. " On Fossil JEstlierice, and their Distribution." By Professor T. 
Eupert Jones. The author pointed out the chief characters of the fourteen 
species of Estherice obtained, from several geological formations ; and 
stated that they belong mainly to the passage-beds, and he believed chiefly 
to fresh and brackish waters. He also compared the distribution of the 
twenty-two recent species with that of the fossil Esthers. 
3. " On the Flora of the Devonian Period in North-Eastern America." 
By Dr. J. W. Dawson. Dr. Dawson enumerated in this xippendix some 
additional species of plants lately obtained from Perry, by Mr. Brown, of 
that place. He also stated that recent observations have shown that the 
beds spoken of in his paper as belonging to the Cattskill Group of IS^ew 
York, really represent the Chemung Group of that State, according to 
Professor J. Hall. 
KoYAL Society. — November 2^th. — One of the largest meetings of the 
Royal Society we remember to have seen. The attraction was Professor 
Owen's paper on the remarkable fossil feathered animal which has lately 
been added to the national collection — the ArchcFopteryx macrurus. 
In his opening remarks Professor Owen detailed the circumstances attend- 
ing the discovery of the fi:rst evidence of the class Birds in the Oxfordian 
strata, being the impression of a feather, which was described by Hermann 
von Meyer, who established for it the genus Archceopteryx. This name 
was retained for the present feathered animal. On November 9, 1861, 
Andreas Wagner communicated to the Mathematical and Physical Aca- 
demy of Munich the account of the discovery of an animal with divergent 
fans of feathers, with which he had become acquainted, on the authority of 
