"On the Madreporaria of the Infra-lias of South Wales," as in it the author describes the occurrence of a coral-fauna, new to Great Britain, occurring in deposits of Liassic age at Brocastle, Ewenny, Sutton, Southerndown, &c., near Bridgend. Before the discovery of these corals, very few were known to occur in England between the Keuper and the zone of Ammonites Bucklandi, and as regards the number of species, they bore no relation to that of the associated mollusca. We have now, however, 26 new species from Brocastle, and 7 from the Sutton series, besides 5 common to the former locality and the zone of Ammonites Moreanus in the Côte d'Or and its equivalent beds, and 3 Triassic species from the Sutton stone, already described by Laube; making, in all, 41 species. The conclusions drawn from these entirely new data must have a high interest for geologists who have taken part in the vexed question of the lower limit of the Liassic series. As will be seen by the title of his paper, Dr. Duncan adopts the term Infra-lias, used by continental geologists; but he makes the very suggestive remark-that "the Madreporaria abound at the base and at the upper part of the Infra-liassic series . . . and that as a whole, the coral-fauna of the Infra-lias is more distinct from that of the true Lower Lias than the coral-fauna of any one of the Oolitic beds is from that of another." He correlates the Welsh strata in question with "the upper beds of the French and Luxembourgian Infra-lias," and we have seen that three Triassic species have lingered even so late as to be found at Sutton. It therefore becomes interesting to know how many Triassic forms are found in the beds at the base of the continental Infra-lias, because on this will depend the verdict to be given on the applicability of the term Infra-lias, from the evidence of the corals. But whatever name we use, we have recorded in this paper the very important fact that these rich coralliferous beds of Wales are the equivalents of the upper portion of the continental Infra-lias, namely, of the Calcaire de Valogne, the zone of Ammonites Moreanus, and the Grès Calcareux, which are superimposed on the equivalents of our zone of Ammonites planorbis; consequently the Welsh beds must be more recent than that zone. In a paper on the structure of the Xiphosura, Mr. H. Woodward discusses the relations of the Palæozoic genera Eurypterus and Pterygotus to the existing genus Limulus. At first sight the affinity of the recent with the fossil types does not appear very evident, and, even when the resemblances are pointed out, it does not seem to be striking. But recent discoveries have shown that these are the extreme members of a long series of forms, and as each gap has been filled up, the comparison has, of course, become more easy and natural, until now Mr. Woodward considers the * materials at his command sufficient to form the basis of a scheme of classification. He proposes to treat the groups Eurypterida and Xiphosura as suborders of Dr. Danas's order Merostomata, the former including the genera Eurypterus, Pterygotus, &c., with several forms which have a more limuloid aspect, notably Hemiaspis.* In the suborder Xiphosura he includes the recent genus Limulus, and (what is very important) two Carboniferous genera, namely, Belinurus and Prestwichia, which are, together, represented by six species. The distribution of the fifteen species of Limulus is worth notice, as showing the suborder to have been represented in every great period since the Carboniferous, there being one species known from the Permian, one from the Trias, seven from the Oolites, one (doubtful) from the Chalk, and one from the Tertiary; and there are four recent species. A short paper by Dr. Duncan, "On some Echinodermata from the Cretaceous Rocks of Sinai," is of some interest, as showing that these fossils prove (1) that the Sinaitic strata are the equivalents of our Upper Greensand; (2) that they are on the same horizon as the Cretaceous strata of South-eastern Arabia, and of Bagh on the Nerbudda; and (3) that the conclusions drawn by Dr. Duncan from the fossil Echinoderms of the latter localities † are probably well founded. Mr. J. W. Flower's paper "On some Flint Implements lately found in the Valley of the Little Ouse river at Thetford, Norfolk,' is a record of the discovery of implements of the St. Acheul type, in gravel-beds in that locality, situated in a position analogous to that of other implement-bearing deposits. Beyond this, however, it is of considerable interest, as the author's researches have led him to doubt the probability of Mr. Prestwich's conclusion that these gravel-terraces were brought into their present position by riveraction. We cannot give all his arguments; but one, especially drawn from the case recorded in the paper, deserves attention. Flint implements have been found in gravel-deposits in three different river valleys, very near to each other, namely, of the Waveney, the Little Ouse, and the Larke. The two former rivers rise in a marsh within a few yards of one another, and then flow in nearly opposite directions; and while at the present day their volume, even at their highest floods, is quite inadequate to do the work required of them by Mr. Prestwich's theory, in their narrow watershed we can find no high land from which the snows of former periods could have given forth the torrents of water invoked by Mr. Prestwich in the case of the valley of the Somme. Other arguments are also used by Mr. Flower with much ingenuity, and his paper deserves the careful consideration of "Quaternary" geologists. See 'Quart. Journ. Science,' No. IX. † See Quart. Journ. Science,' No. IX. The last paper we have to notice is a very short one by Professor W. C. Williamson, "On a Cheirotherian Footprint from the Base of the Keuper Sandstone of Daresbury, Cheshire," which is of more importance than its title indicates, as the footprint is more Cheirotherioid than Cheirotherian, and is "distinctly that of a scaly animal." The following conclusion is also at variance with the title:-"Had the impression not exhibited the scaly structure, it would probably have been described as 'Cheirotherian,' but I do not believe that it belonged to a Batrachian animal. It is Saurian, if not Crocodilean, in every feature, and as such, constitutes an interesting addition to the palæontology of the English Keuper." We are sorry to be obliged again to chronicle the death of two eminent geologists, namely, Mr. James Smith, of Jordan Hill, F.R.S., F.G.S., &c., a very old and eminent explorer of Postpliocene or Quaternary deposits; and Professor J. A. E. Deslongchamps, of Caen, a Foreign member of the Geological Society, and one of the foremost of French paleontologists; both of whom have become lost to us after a long life of devotion to our science. It is with different feelings that we record the untimely death of Mr. F. J. Foot, M.A., &c., in an effort to save the lives of two persons from drowning. Mr. Foot was on the staff of the Geological Survey of Ireland, and was a very promising and active botanist and geologist. The Council of the Geological Society have awarded the Wollaston gold medal to G. Poulett Scrope, Esq., M.P., F.R.S., F.G.S., &c., in recognition of the highly important services he has rendered to geology by his examination and published descriptions of the volcanic phenomena of central France, and by his works on the subject of volcanic action generally throughout the world; and the balance of the proceeds of the Wollaston Donation Fund to Mr. W. H. Baily, F.G.S., to assist him in the preparation and publication of an illustrated catalogue of British Fossils. 10. MINING. THE continued state of extreme depression which prevails in the mining districts renders our chronicle a sad one. In Cornwall and Devonshire more than half of the mines-that is, nearly 300-are now idle, which were in active operation a few years since. Careful examinations made in each of the mining districts of south-western England enables us to give the following list, as a very close approximation, to the real numbers of the miners who have emigrated. It must be remembered that these are able-bodied men, the youngest and most active of the mining population. About a thousand of these have found employment in the collieries of Wales and Scotland, and on the lines of railway which are now in progressespecially around the Metropolis. From the largest copper-mining district of Cornwall we hear of three mines, paying about 1,0007. per week in agency and labour, which are continuing to do this at an actual loss of 15,000l. a year. Should these mines succumb beneath the pressure of the times, the withdrawal of the 52,0007. now distributed as wages, would spread ruin on every hand. Lead-mining is not affected to the same degree as tin and copper, although the condition of the metal market is influencing even the Lead-mines. Coal-mining is, and has for some time, been very brisk; while, on the other hand, the iron trade cannot recover its position. The returns of our mineral produce for the year 1866 are not yet complete. They are, however, sufficiently advanced to enable us to state that the production of Tin will have been unusually large, although nearly every ton of tin ore will have been sold at a loss; of Copper ore, from British mines, there will have been a falling off; but the importations of Foreign Copper will have been large. Lead and the other metalliferous minerals will remain much as they were in 1865. Nearly, if not quite, one hundred millions of tons of Coals will have been produced in the United Kingdom. In the process of coal-mining, this quarter will be marked by the terrible accidents, by explosion-at the Oaks Colliery in the Barnsley district, and at the Talk-o'-the-Hill, near Hanley, in Staffordshire, by which nearly four hundred lives have been sacrificed. These casualties have naturally directed attention strongly to the system of colliery inspection. We do not learn whether it is the intention of the Government to propose any measures calculated to secure greater attention in the particulars of ventilation and lighting. In the midst of the extreme depression which prevails in our metal mines, two members of the House of Commons talk of new legislation-one bringing in a bill to rate metal mines to the poor; the other proposing to found a bill for their better regulation, on the report of Lord Kinnaird's Commission. Upon reflection, we should hope both these measures will be postponed. We have, from time to time, noticed the coal-cutting machines which have been introduced. We have now to record an important movement in connection with them. A committee, consisting of some of the largest coal proprietors of Lancashire and Cheshire, have offered three prizes, of the respective values of 5007., 2007., and 1007., for the first, second, and third best machines for the cutting of coal. The machines must be adapted to the following requirements:-Thickness of seams, from two to nine feet. The dip, or inclination, from horizontal to an angle of 20°. Maximum size of tub or wagon used in the mines, three feet six inches by three feet, and three feet in height. Gauge of road, from one foot six inches to two feet three inches. It is considered desirable that the machine should be as light and as easily moveable as possible. The committee express their belief that compressed air is the proper motive power for working coal-cutting machines. We hope this does not mean, that they exclude machines worked by water pressure from their consideration. The facility with which power is transferred, with scarcely any loss by water, as compared with the great loss when air is employed, renders it advisable that water pressure should be equally considered. Inventors must furnish machines not later than the 1st of November in the present year. We quite expect from this, that we shall soon find coal-cutting machines in general use in our collieries. A successful application of the Electric Telegraph has been made by Messrs. T. B. and W. B. Brain, in the Trafalgar colliery in the Forest of Dean. A great difficulty arose in the conveyance of coal from the workings to the shaft, owing to the declivity of the seam under work. Indeed, the steepness was such, that the ordinary method of hauling became impracticable. To meet this difficulty the engine at bank was brought into requisition,-to which was applied a length of chain reaching to the end of the workings, the shaft being 200 yards deep, and the dip workings extending to a considerable distance. To ensure safety, instantaneous communication was necessary, and electricity was thought of. An electric bell is placed in the engine-house, and another near the top of the dip-workings; these are connected by wires carried down the pit and continued along the road. The great danger was the liability of injuring the men, during the rapid ascent or descent of the trucks. To avoid this, "electrical tappers" are placed along the road, and thus at any point a man can signal to stop or start the engine. The old mode of signalling between the "hanger-on" and the engine-man has been superseded by this new arrangement. An instrument is placed in front of the engineer, |