Proceedings frf^the Wernerian Society. 409 
extensive series of Shetland minerals which he presented to the 
Society. 
April 24, — The Secretary read a notice by Mr Stewart, lec- 
turer on botany, regarding some rare plants of the class Crypto- 
gamia, lately found by him in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. 
One effect of the fine autumn of last year, followed as it 
was by an unusually mild winter, seems to have been, that se- 
veral of the musci, which are almost proverbial among botanists 
as being shy in producing fruit, have produced their capsules 
in abundance : Among these may be mentioned, Hypnum 
proliferum., Bryum roseum^ punctatum and ligulatum. A- 
mong the greatest rarities were Buxhaumia apliylla and Diphy- 
sckim Jhliosumy both which Mr Stewart found on the same turf 
of peat-moss. 
At the same meeting the Secretary read a communication 
from the Rev. Mr Young of Whitby, on a remarkable fossil 
animal found in the rocks near Whitby. The description was 
accompanied with a beautiful drawing, by Mr Bird, of this 
curious petrifaction. 
May 1, — Mr Neill, the Secretary, read an account of the dis- 
covery of the remains of the Beaver, dug up in Perthshire 
and in Berwickshire. This paper is printed in the first num- 
ber of the Journal, p. 177. 
At the same meeting, Mr Bald read a series of observations 
on the shape of Coal-fields in Scotland and England. He de- 
monstrated by his descriptions, and the numerous beautiful 
plans and maps which he exhibited, that these coal-fields are in 
general bason-shaped, and that every where they exhibit the 
same general geognostical characters. He described particu- 
larly the various phenomena resulting from the dislocations 
or slips in coal-fields, and noticed instances of the unchanged 
state of the strata of this formation, where vast beds of secon- 
dary greenstone overlie them. 
May 23. — Professor Jameson read an account of a remark- 
able section of the mineral beds below Lothian Street, Edinburo'Ii, 
exposed to view in the course of clearing out the foundations of 
new buildings there.— See our first number, pp. 138-14L 
The Society adjourned for the summer. 
