The Himalayas, with the help of that singular replica of the more mountainous region known as the Salt Range, have afforded to the palæontologist, in one place or another, a fairly good series of the several Palæozoic horizons.

The interesting paper on “The Connection of the Glacial Period with Oscillation of the Land,” by Dr. Holst, while reinforcing the quite probable theory that areas loaded with glacial ice sink under the burden, and after the ice has been thawed rise again, goes out of its way to deny the existence of Interglacial periods, probably with the idea that there was only one important sinking and rising in the Pleistocene, and hence no opportunity for Interglacial times. However that may be in Sweden, the evidence in favour of at least one important Interglacial period in North America is too strong to be set aside for any mere theory.

The following description of Egyptian foraminiferal limestones is based on a series of specimens transmitted to me by Dr. H. Woodward, F.R.S., on behalf of Captain H. G. Lyons, F.G.S.The series comprises specimens from the Eocene and Mioceneof the eastern side of the Eed Sea Hills, collected by Mr. ThomasBarron, F.G.S.; and specimens from the Eocene of the east sideof the Nile, between Assiut and Qena, and from the Baharia andFarafra Oases, collected by Mr. H. J. L. Beadnell, F.G.S. A greatamount of interest attaches to these rocks, both as regards theirgeneral character and preservation, and also with respect to theirmicrozoic contents.

Having undertaken to explain the geology of the Cheddar gorge to the Cotteswold Naturalists' Field Club at one of their field-meetings this Summer, I thought I should do so more intelligently if I first acquired a practical knowledge of my subject. I accordingly paid a preliminary visit to Cheddar. There were two chief questions to be investigated: (1) the origin of the gorge, and (2) the cause of its serpentine, or rather zigzag, course. The former inquiry had been answered in four different ways. There had been geologists who held that the valley had been excavated by the waves of the sea. A second school taught that it had been produced by a dislocation, splitting the rocks asunder. The third theory regarded it as a valley of erosion, excavated in the ordinary way by a river on the surface. A fourth explanation placed the river underground, and maintained that the glen had originally been a long winding cavern, the roof of which had subsequently fallen in.

In the collection made by the late Dr. Grindrod, now in the Geological Museum at Oxford, there is a minute species of trilobite, represented by two specimens, obtained from the Dictyonema-shales of the Malverns. This form was referred by Dr. Callaway to Shumardia (Conophrys) Salopiensis, Call.; but a careful study of the two specimens, aided by the removal of a small fragment of shale which partly concealed the more complete example, has shown the distinctness of the trilobite from Shumardia, and from any other genus known to the writer. Owing to the kindness of Professor Sollas I have been enabled to make a thorough examination of the specimens. The preservation is fairly good, but much of the actual test has been lost, and both fossils are largely in the form of internal casts. In the more complete but somewhat smaller example, which may be taken as the type-specimen, the whole trilobite is preserved (Fig. 3); in the second specimen little more than the thorax and pygidium is seen (Fig. 4).