434 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
long, resembles that of the living Crocodilians, only it is less twisted. The 
structure of the jaw, the form and attachment of the teeth, and the manner 
of their succession, with the form of the vertebrae and ribs, proved this 
Ivimmeridge Saurian to be a Crocodilian (and not a Lacertilian) resembling 
a bastard Gavial. The author next demonstrated its identity with Daho~ 
saurns, Queenstedt, and hence with Geosaurus maxiimis, Pliengerj and he 
expressed a belief that it was also generically indentical with Cuvier’s 
Honfleur Gavial, tete a museau plus court,” and Geofirey St. Hilaire’s 
Stencosaunis rosiro-mmor . — The following papers, all of which we cannot ab- 
stract for want of space, were also read : On the Graphite of the Laurentian 
of Canada,” by Professor J. W. Dawson, LL.D., F.E.S., F.G.S. The author 
described the modes of occurrence of great quantities of graphite in the 
Laurentian limestones of Canada. He regarded the presence and characters 
of this mineral as indicative of the existence of plants, side by side with 
Eozoon, at the period of the deposition of these limestones. — Notes on 
certain of the Intrusive Igneous Eocks of the Lake district,” by Dr. H. A. 
Nicholson, F.G.S. — On the Fossil Myriapods of the Coal-formation of 
Nova Scotia and England,” by Samuel H. Scudder, Esq., commimicated by 
Sir Charles Lyell, Bart., F.E.S., F.G.S. — ^^Eodentia of the Somerset Caves,” 
by W. Ayshford Sandford, Esq., F.G.S. — On a new Acrodont Saurian 
from the Lower Chalk,” by James Wood Mason, Esq., F.G.S., of Queen’s 
College, Oxford. — On the Correlation, Nature, and Origin of the Drifts of 
North-west Lancashire and part of Cumberland,” by D. Mackintosh, Esq., 
F.G.S. — On the Connection of the Geological Structure and Physical 
Features of the South-east of England, with the Consumption Death-rate,” 
by W. Whitaker, Esq., B.A., F.G.S. — “ On the Geology of a Portion of 
Abyssinia,” by William T. Blanford, Esq., F.G.S., &c. — This paper con- 
tained a brief description of the principal geological observations made by 
the writer wlien accompanying the late Abyssinian expedition. — On the 
A’olcanic Phenomena of Hawaii,” by the Eev. C. G. Williamson, commu- 
nicated by Sir E. I. Murchison, Bart., F.E.S., V.P.G.S. — ‘^On two new 
Species of Gvrod us,” by Sir Philip de Malpas Grey Egerton, Bart., M.P., 
F.E.S., V.P.G.S. 
MECHANICAL SCIENCE. 
British Association for the Advancement of Science . — Amongst the papers 
communicated to the mechanical section, we may mention a further report 
by Dr. Fairbaim on the strength and other properties of steel, containing 
the results of a large number of new experiments. — A paper on the applica- 
tion of hydraulic butlers to check the recoil of heavy guns by Col. II. Clerk, 
E..\. These buffers are close cylinders filled with water attached to the 
gun platform. In the cylinder is a piston with a piston-rod attached to the 
gun. During the recoil the piston traverses the cylinder and displaces the 
water, wh^h pa.sses through four small holes in the piston j and the work 
expended in forcing the water through these apertui’es absorbs the force of 
the recoil. The buffers appear to have been very successful, even with guns 
of 25 toas weight. — Mr. Whitworth read a further paper on the superiority 
