free margins. The front border is truncate, sloping downwards and inwards; and the hinder margin slopes downwards at once and forwards, and not partly outwards as in fig. 4. These differences in outline do not seem to be due to bad preservation, for the ridges are truly concentric with the margins, as far as they are exposed; but they are varietal, if not sexual. Hence fig. 5 may be distinguished as var. Grebeana, after Herr Grebe, of the Prussian Geological Service, who found it crowded together with E. Geinitzii in the hard, dark-coloured Lebach shale from the railway tunnel near Boos, a village about a kilometre from Münster-on-the-Nahe. III. In Katzer's Geologie von Böhmen,' III. Abtheilung, 1892, the following fossil Phyllopoda are mentioned : P. 1169, Estheria cyanea, Fr., from Lubna? (Lubno). Since that date our friend Dr. Anton Fritsch has shown us some figures of Phyllopods which probably comprise those referred to above.. These figures are, 1, an Estheria, from the lowest horizon of the Permian system of Bohemia, in the bituminous shale of Nyràn, near Pilsen; 2, E. cyanea, sp. nov., Fritsch, from the Middle Permian, in bituminous. shale from Kaunovà; 3, an Estheria, from Upper Permian bituminous shale at Kàstialov; 4, an Estheria from the limestone with Palæonicus Vratislavensis of the Uppermost Permian at Braunau; 5, an Estheria, also from the Uppermost Permian Limestone. These, with some Ostracodes, will be published in due course by Dr. A. Fritsch in his 'Fauna der Gaskohle,' some parts of which have been already issued. IV. S. S. Gorby, State Geologist, has issued some 'Advance Sheets from the Eighteenth Report of the Geological Survey of Indiana,' 8vo,. Indianapolis, September, 1892, in which the Paleontology is done by S. A. Miller and S. A. Casseday (see p. 23). Some Phyllocarida of the family of Pinacaride are treated of, and at p. 77, pl. 9, fig. 37, the post-abdomen (trifid) of Mesothyra Gurleyi, n. sp., from the Kinderhook group, at Le Grand, Iowa, is described and illustrated; and at 78, pl. 9, figs. 43-46, Macrocaris Gorbyi, n. gen. et sp., from the Keokuk group, at West Point, Indiana. Of this latter form fig. 43. shows the interior of the carapace-valves and four abdominal segments. Fig. 44 gives four and part of another abdominal segment, and the postabdomen slightly broken at the end. Fig. 45 is eight abdominal segments and the post-abdomen. Fig. 46 is a tooth, found in the same rocks, that may possibly belong to the internal masticatory apparatus. V. In the Canadian Record of Science,' vol. v. No. 4, October, 1892, pp. 205-208, Mr. J. F. Whiteaves gives a 'Description of a new Genus and Species of Phyllocarid Crustacea from the Middle Cambrian of Mount Stephen.' The fossil is shown by a figure at p. 206, and named. Anomalocaris Canadensis, gen. et sp. nov. The diagram and description do not make it appear to us to be a Phyllocarid. VI. Mr. Robert Etheridge, jun., in the Records of the Geological Survey of New South Wales,' vol. iii. part 1, 1892, pp. 5-8, pl. 4, describes and figures four specimens of the Hymenocaris Salteri, M'Coy, and states his belief that they belong to Lingulocaris; and, as there is. a L. Salteriana, he thinks that they should be called L. Maccoyii. One or more specimens of this Australian species had been seen by Mr. J. W. Salter, and referred by him to Caryocaris with some doubt. We have adopted Mr. Salter's conclusion, both in a former report (for 1883) and in the Monogr. Brit. Palæoz. Phyll.,' Pal. Soc., 1892, p. 93. Comparing Mr. Etheridge's figures with those given of Caryocaris by ourselves (op. cit., pl. 14, figs. 11-15), we find that one of ours is as large as any of the former, and that the modified shape of the ends of the valves does not necessarily remove them from Caryocaris. VII. With respect to Aptychopsis cordiformis, sp. nov., and Peltocaris anatina, Salter, mentioned at page 299 of the report for 1892, Mr. J. E. Marr informs us that the words 'Coll. Marr should not have been attached to the former in our 'Monogr. Pal. Phyll.,' part 2, 1892, p. 103, pl. 15, fig. 2, for it was collected long ago, being the only Paleozoic shield-shaped Phyllopod in the Cambridge Museum when Salter labelled it Peltocaris anatina, overlooking its real generic character, and perhaps regarding it as a distorted specimen. By this name the specimen has been referred to in lists of fossils as from the 'Wenlock,' and the real Peltocaris, which we have named P. anatina (Monogr. Pal. Phyll.,' p. 114, pl. 16, figs. 4-9), is a 'Llandovery' fossil. It seems to be expedient to give the old name anatina, instead of cordiformis, to the Aptychopsis (p. 103), as intimated by Mr. Marr in the Geol. Mag.' for December, 1892, p. 535; and to distinguish the Peltocaris (p. 114), some specimens of which were collected by Mr. Marr, as P. Marrii. VIII. We here append a table showing the Geological Distribution of the several Peltate Phyllopods described and figured in our Monograph and referred to at page 298 of the report for 1892. var. secunda, J. and W. Etage E e 1, Bohemia. Barrandeana, J. and W. Birkhill group (upper part of the Moffat series). var. brevior, J. and W. Birkhill anatina (Salter). Lower Wenlock, Ulverston. Gala series. glabra, H. Woodward. Gala series. group ? Wilsoni, H. Woodward. Riccarton series. Gala series. Lapworthi, H. Woodward ovata, J. and W. Gala series. Salteri, H. Woodward. Wenlock Shale, South Wales. angulata, Baily Brathay Flags (?), Lake district. Birkhill group? Riccarton series. oblata, J. and W. Gala series. Peltocaris aptychoides, Salter { Birkhill group. Birkhill group. Skelgill Shales. Peltocaris patula, J. and W. Birkhill group. Skelgill Shales. Pinnocaris Lapworthi, Eth.Upper Silurian, Kendal. Discinocaris Browniana, H. Woodward Birkhill group. Skelgill Shales. Skelgill Shales. undulata, J. and W. Birkhill group. Dusliana, Novák. Etage E e 1, Bohemia. The general order of the strata is— 4. Pentland or Riccarton Series. Brathay Flags. (Wenlock Beds.) 3. Gala Series. 2. Moffat Series 1. Arenig Series. 3. Birkhill group. Skelgill Shales. (Llandovery Beds.) 2. Hartfell group. 1. Glenkiln group. The Eurypterid-bearing Deposits of the Pentland Hills.-Report of the Committee, consisting of Dr. R. H. TRAQUAIR (Chairman), Professor T. RUPERT JONES, and Mr. MALCOLM LAURIE (Secretary). (Drawn up by Mr. M. LAURIE.) In pursuance of the object for which the Committee were appointed Mr. Laurie spent three weeks in the Pentland Hills superintending the excavations necessary to expose the fossiliferous beds. Three men were employed on this work, and the grant was more than expended on wages alone. Considerable difficulty was experienced in clearing the beds owing to the constant falling in of the superincumbent rocks, which are much shattered. The fossiliferous beds were removed in as large masses as their highly-jointed condition would allow; and it seemed best to convey the material to some place where it could be examined at leisure. Part of the material (about one and a half ton) lies at present at Mr. Laurie's home in Duddingston, and the rest is safely deposited at Carlops, not far from the spot where it was procured. Owing to considerable delay and difficulty in obtaining permission from the proprietor to make the excavations in question, Mr. Laurie has not had time to examine more than a very small quantity of the material procured. The results, so far as they go, are promising, some half-dozen good specimens including a large Eurypterus ? sp., Stylonurus ornatus, Drepanopterus Pentlandius, &c.-having been found, together with a large number of fragments of various forms. Your Committee desire to be reappointed, and request that a further sum of 101. be granted to provide assistance in developing the material which has been procured from the excavations. The Volcanic Phenomena of Vesuvius and its Neighbourhood.Report of the Committee, consisting of Mr. H. BAUERMAN, Mr. F. W. RUDLER, Mr. J. J. H. TEALL, and Professor H. J. JOHNSTON-LAVIS. (Drawn up by Professor H. J. JOHNSTONLAVIS.) Vesuvius. During the first week of June 1892 much dust-bearing vapour escaped from the crater, but on the seventh of the month incandescent lava-cakes were being ejected, and a greater flow of lava was visible in the Atrio del Cavallo. The central crater increased in activity during the 8th and 9th, but on the 10th much dusty smoke issued during the day, but at night no reflection was visible. The following day less vapour was emitted, which only occasionally was darkened by dust. During the 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th very little vapour was visible about the crater; a little more, sometimes white and sometimes dark from dust, issued from the last date till the evening of the 22nd, when a fresh gush of lava came forth in the Atrio del Cavallo, and a few incandescent cakes were ejected from the crater. On the 23rd more lava and high jets of incandescent lava-cakes were thrown out from the crater. The volcano was much quieter the next day, followed by marked repose during the rest of the month.1 The lava some During the next two months little of note occurred. times increased, and at other times it diminished, but it practically never stopped flowing. The central crater also varied within narrow limits, the vapour being occasionally charged with dust when a bit of crater edge collapsed and partly choked the main vent. During September much the same state persisted. No reflection was ever visible from the central crater, though the usual column of vapour escaped freely, and was accompanied from time to time by dust and sand. The month of October was a most unfavourable one, as for more than half of the month the cone was enveloped in cloud; but neither during this month nor during November and December did any marked change occur at the central crater. Occasionally a faint but uncertain glimmer was visible on some evenings over the main vent. Lava, as usual, continued to pour forth, flowing first to one side and then to the other of the Atrio, so that the point of its exit described in the former report has been raised, and a hill sloping away to the W., N., and E. continues to rise and to obliterate part of the space between the great cone of Vesuvius and the escarpment of Monte Somma. During November the highest point of this boss, in the Atrio del Cavallo, piled up as it had been by the constant guttering forth of lava, was crusted over and surmounted by some ruined spiracles formed in June of the same year (1892). At certain points of this crust most beautiful sublimations of aphthitalite were deposited at a low red heat. In removing these deposits they were found to be of a dull red incandescence, but digging a few centimetres deeper amongst the scoriæ, of a bright red 1 For much of the daily record I am indebted to Signor Avv. Bartolo Longo, proprietor of the observatory of the Valle di Pompei, and to Signors C. M. Tosti and Professor V. Capaccio, the observers. Unfortunately the record is not continuous, but what I have been able to obtain has been carefully checked and much extended by my closer observations on the volcano. heat; a little hæmatite was visible, and that quite close to the aphthitalite near the cooling surface. The aphthitalite occurred in thin plate-like crystals, very much resembling those of specular iron. They were simple hexagonal plates or compound feathers; only in the smaller crystals were the rhombohedral faces developed along the edges of the plate. Some were white with a faint opalescent tinge, but that variety was rare. Others were more opalescent and some quite milky. These latter shaded into examples of the most beautiful cerulean blue, and thence through varying tints of bird's-egg green to light chrome green and greenish yellow. The blue was due to copper impurities, and the green to iron and copper sulphates combined. The crystallisation was best developed in the whiter or more translucent specimens. Crystals of different tints were often blotched with a reddish coppery lustre, due to the contemporaneous deposition of fine transparent laminæ of hæmatite. In some fissures of the hot lava were moss-like deposits of the mineral euchlorine (called by Scacchi euclorina), of bright emerald green colour. The deposit of this, however, was very limited. Several rifts in the new lavas have been most beautifully coated with very delicate feathery deposits of mixed sodium and potassium chlorides. Some had grown to such dimensions and solidity that they could be removed. This form of sublimate, although one of the commonest, is extremely rare in collections, for it is so fine and light that the slightest current of air reduces it to a fine powder. At other spots thick saline crusts were deposited, but these proved to be very composite in nature, consisting of mixed sulphates and chlorides of the alkalies and alkaline earths, with much iron and a little copper. If we carefully examine the history of eruptions at Vesuvius in which a record of the time and place of sublimates is made, and if we make constant observations of the vapour components, one fact becomes evident. The vapour that first escapes from boiling lava when it reaches the surface of the earth consists in great part of sulphurous acid and probably alkaline sulphites. Later, and more slowly, the hydrochloric acid and chlorides volatilise. Thus, when much new lava is issuing sulphurous acid is very obvious at the central crater, and around this incrustations of sulphur and sulphites prevail over chlorides, which are only deposited or produced by the escape of hydrochloric acid gas at more distant fumaroles. At the point of exit of the lava sulphites are deposited, but after the lava has flowed some distance chlorides are more abundant. In May of this year when visiting the Atrio at the point of exit of the lava a phenomenon, of which I have never seen or heard of the like, could be studied. One of the curious conical spiracles, similar to those I described in the report of this committee for 1891, was puffing away with violent intermittent but not rhythmic blasts, and with the occasional escape of small fragments of lava. Watching this action, the cause of which has always appeared to me obscure, I noticed a large ball of incandescent pasty lava appear at the mouth of the spiracle at intervals, and as soon as the high pressure vapour found exit by its side it again fell back, and for a moment or two almost completely stopped any vapour escaping. It seemed to have nearly blocked the lower opening from which at times it was blown up by the vapour when the pressure increased. In fact it was somewhat like a ball valve. After watching this |
