( 403 ) 
Art. XXIX .— Proceedings of the Wernerian Natural History 
Society . (Continued from p. 210.) 
1824, May 1. — TL HE Secretary read a communication sent 
to the Society, entitled, 44 Observations and Experiments on 
the Formation of Pearls.'” Also, notice of a substitute for cork 
in tropical climates, being the central part of the scape of the 
Agave vivipara, by the Reverend Lansdown Guilding of St 
Vincent's, with specimens of the prepared agave-cork. And 
likewise an 44 Account of William Dempster , who accidentally 
swallowed a table-hnife at Carlisle in November last f commu- 
nicated by Dr Barnes of Carlisle. (This paper is printed in 
the present Number, p. 319* et seq.) 
At the same meeting, Professor Jameson read a notice of the 
discovery of some fossil remains of a whale near the seat of 
Lord D unmore, on the banks of the Forth, and at the distance 
of several hundred yards from the existing bed of the river ; 
communicated by Mr A. Blackadder, Allan Park. 
A specimen of the native dog of New Holland, presented to 
the Museum by His Excellency Sir Thomas Brisbane, was ex- 
hibited to the meeting, and described by Professor Jameson. 
May 15.-— At this meeting Professor Jameson communicated 
to the Society Mr A. Blackadder's observations on the alluvial 
strata of the Forth district, illustrated by a geological map of 
that portion of country. 
Mr Witham of Larkington read a memoir on some peculi- 
arities observable in the trap-rocks in the west and north-west 
of the counties of York, Durham, Westmoreland, and Nor- 
thumberland. 
The Secretary read a notice regarding the pernicious effects 
on fruit-trees, of a layer of bog-iron-ore immediately under the 
surface-soil, in Aberdeenshire, provincially termed paw; commu- 
nicated by Mr Stevenson, civil engineer. 
At the same meeting, Mr Deuchar, lecturer on chemistry, 
read a paper 44 On the comparative merits of the theories of 
Galvanic Action A And Mr F. A. Parry exhibited a remark- 
able stalagmite or deposition, found at the bottom of one of the 
tanks of lime-water through which the coal-gas is passed, with 
a view to its purification, at the Edinburgh Gas Works. 
The meetings of the Society were then adjourned till Novem- 
ber next. c c 2 
