Societies and Academies

Abstract

LONDONGeological Society, March 25.-John Evans, F. U.S., president, in the chair.-The following communications were read: -On the Upper Coal-Formation of Eastern Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, in its relation to the Permian, by Principal Dawson, F.R.S. The author described the Carboniferous district of Pictou county as showing the whole thickness of the Carboniferous system arranged in three synclinals, the easternmost consisting of the Lower series up to the Middle Coal-lor-mation, and including all the known workable Coal-measures in the district-the second towards the west of the middle and the lower part of the Upper Coal-formation-and the third showing in its centre the newest beds of the latter. On the north the bounding anticlinal of the first depression brings up the New-Glasgow Conglomerate, which contains boulders 3 ft. in diameter, often belonging to Lower Carboniferous rocks, and represents the upper part of the Millstone-grit or the lower part of the Middle Coal-formation. The author regards this as representing an immense bar or beach, which protected the swamps in which the Pictou main coal was formed. The succession of the deposits above the Conglomerate was described in some detail as seen in natural sections. The Upper Coal-formation, as shown in the section west of Carribou Harbour, consists of-(i) Red and grey shales, and grey, red, and brown sandstones; and (2) Shales, generally of a deep red colour, alternating with grey, red, and brown sandstones, the red beds becoming more prevalent in the upper part of the section. In Prince Edward Island beds apparently corresponding to these are found, and also gradually become more red in ascending. These are overlain, apparently conformably, by the Trias. The author gave a tabular list of 47 species of plants found in the Upper Coal-formation of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and stated that all but about ten of these occur also in the Middle Coal-formation. The number of species decreases rapidly towards the upper part of the formation; and this is especially the case in Prince Edward Island, some of the beds in which are considered by the author to be newer than any of those in Nova Scotia. The plants contained in the upper deposits were compared with those of the European Permian, and a correlation was shown to exist between them, so that it becomes a question whether this series was not synchronous with the lower part of the Permian of Europe, although in this district there is no stratigraphical break to establish a boundary between Carboniferous and Permian. The author therefore proposes to name these beds Permo-Carboniferous, and regards them as to some extent bridging over the gap which in Eastern America separates- the Carboniferous from the Trias.-Note on the Carboniferous Conglomerates of the Eastern Part of the Basin of the Eden, by J. G. Goodchild.-An Account of a Well-Section in the Chalk at the north end of Driffield, East Yorkshire, by R. Mortimer.-On Slicken-sides; or Rock-Striations, particularly those of the Chalk, by Dr. Ogter Ward.