SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
207 
does not produce them. A German philosopher has said “ ohne Phosphor 
kein Gedanke.” The above experiments warrant the alteration of this 
dictum to u ohne Phosphor gar kein Leben.” 
GEOLOGY AND PALAEONTOLOGY. 
The Lahradorite Rocks of America have been very fairly described in a 
long paper by Dr. T. Sterry Hunt, in the u Canadian Naturalist.” These 
peculiar lahradorite rocks, presenting a great similarity in mineralogical and 
lithological character, have now been observed in Essex County, New York, 
and through Canada, at intervals, from the shore of Lake Huron to the coast 
of Labrador. They are again met with in southern New Brunswick, in the 
Isle of Skye, in Norway, and in south-western Russia, and in nearly all of 
these localities are known to occur in contact with and apparently reposing, 
like a newer formation, upon the ancient Laurentian gneiss. Geikie, in his 
memoir on the geology of a part of Skye,* appears to include the norites or 
hyperstheuites of that island with certain syenites and greenstones, which 
he describes as not intrusive, though eruptive after the manner of granites 
(loc. cit., p. 11-14). The hypersthenites are represented in his map as 
occurring to the west of Loch Slapin. Specimens in Dr. Hunt’s possession 
from Loch Scavig, a little further west, and others in MacCulloch’s collection 
from that vicinity, are, however, identical with the North-American norites, 
whose stratified character is undoubted. His paper is of considerable length, 
but may be referred to with advantage. 
Noteworthy Points in Italian Geology. — According to Mr. J. C. Ward, 
writing in the u Geological Magazine ” for January, these are briefly as 
follows : — 1. The geological records date back only to Jurassic times, and 
there is no direct evidence of land over this area until late Secondary or 
early Tertiary. 2. The formation of Italy has been effected in a very simple 
manner, namely, by the upheaval of three consecutive marine formations 
into a long chain of mountains, and by the deposition round this long island 
of marine strata belonging to the Miocene and Pliocene periods, and their 
subsequent moderate upheaval. 3. The time through which this history 
carries us back divides itself into three separate periods as regards action 
from below. (1) A period of tranquillity, or slow depression, during which 
tranquil marine deposition was going on. (2) A period of vast internal 
force manifested in the form of upheaval of land, and formation of lofty 
mountains. (3) A period, not yet entirely over, of the same force manifested 
in an outward or volcanic form. 
Graphite in the American Laurentian. — Writing on this subject some short 
time since, Dr. Dawson says the quantity of graphite in the Lower Lauren- 
tian series is enormous. In a recent visit to the township of Buckingham, 
on the Ottawa River, he examined a band of limestone believed to be a con- 
tinuation of that described by Sir W. E. Logan as the Green Lake Lime- 
stone. It was estimated to amount, with some thin interstratified bands of 
Quar. Jour. Geol. Soc.,” xiv. p. 1. 
