Although the phenomena of the Pyro-Electricity of Minerals, as it has been termed, and those of the Tourmaline in particular, have, after a long period of neglect, been recently studied by more than one philosopher of eminence, there are a sufficient number of undetermined or debatable points, even at the threshold of the inquiry, to yield facts of novelty and interest to those who will take the trouble to look for them.

Having during the past summer been much engaged in studying the relations of bodies to heat and electricity, I was induced, by having in my possession a considerable number of long tourmalines, to repeat and endeavour to verify some recently published experiments with this mineral. These inquiries brought out several new facts; and, with the hope of adding something to our knowledge in this curious field, I have taken this opportunity of communicating to the Society the results of some very recent experiments.

The calciferous glands of earthworms are well-known structures, which occur under a variety of forms, and have been the subject of a considerable amount of research. They are appendages of the oesophagus which occur in different segments in different genera and species; and the usual view of their morphological nature, put forward by Beddard (l) in 1895, and for long generally adopted, is that their epithelium is the oesophageal epithelium thrown into various degrees of folding. Beddard describes these different degrees in a number of different forms.

The intrinsic symbol of an amphicheiral knot is based on the idea of the sequence of the crossings; it replaces each letter of the alphabetical symbol by a number equal to one-half of the number of crossings intervening before the next occurrence of that letter as the knot is traversed in a definite direction. Hence it is seen that two knots, which have the same intrinsic symbol, are identical. Since the same number of pairs of crossings must elapse before the next occurrence of corresponding crossings of two identical knots when the knots are traversed in a given direction, it is seen that the converse is true also. It may be necessary to consider the complementary intrinsic symbol in order to detect identical knots.

In the first part of the present series of communications I have given a general discussion of the apparatus and methods of observation employed in the investigation of the seiches of Loch Earn, and have also mentioned some of the errors to which seiche observations are liable, and how they may be avoided or corrected. It may be useful to enumerate here certain of these errors, omitting for the most part those that arise from the construction of the instruments, and can be eliminated by proper design and by preliminary tests.

In a previous communication (Charles, 1938) gross reproduction rates were given for the counties, cities and burghs, and for the urban and landward areas of Scotland. The present communication is an attempt to correlate differences among these rates with measurable social circumstances, more especially with occupation and with frequency of marriage. Attention will be directed mainly to such differences in 1931.

At the instance of Dr S. L. Hora I was sent in the summers of 1929 and 1930 by the authorities of the Zoological Survey of India to Dumpep in the Khasi Hills, Assam, to carry out investigations on the ecology and bionomics of the anuran fauna of the torrential streams. During the second visit I was asked to make observations on and collect the early stages of the tadpoles of Rana afghana and of any species of Megophrys found in that area. I secured a fair series of the developmental stages of the tadpoles of R. afghana, but only mature tadpoles of two species of Megophrys. Dr Hora (1932) studied the tadpoles of R. afghana with special reference to the evolution and development of the adhesive apparatus. In view of the more or less complete developmental series of R. afghana tadpoles now available, Dr Hora very kindly suggested to me the investigation of the anatomy of the adhesive apparatus in this species.

The stratigraphy of the Neoproterozoic Dalradian Supergroup has been formalised at group, subgroup and formation level, based largely on mapping in the SW Highlands of Scotland. Elsewhere, there has been a tendency for the lithostratigraphy to be fitted into this framework, implying that the lithostratigraphy represents basin-wide changes in depositional environment. The pitfalls of this ‘layer-cake’ approach are illustrated by interpreting the geology of the Gleann Fearnach to Glen Shee area of the Central Highlands, using the published maps of the adjacent regions. Attempts to correlate units into the Braemar area in the NE and into the Pitlochry area in the SW show considerable mismatch between the maps covering these areas, which has in the past led to invocation of geometrically unlikely arrangements of faults and slides to explain the lithostratigraphical distribution.

The present study is the result of a different approach adopted during remapping of the Gleann Fearnach to Glen Shee area. Some basin-wide events, here suggested to be associated with key sequence stratigraphic surfaces, were identified. These principally relate to the deposition of Appin Quartzite, Boulder Bed and Ben Lawers Schist precursor sediments. Between these reference units the stratigraphy has been determined by detailed field mapping, and variation from the standard stratigraphy explained in terms of both the position within the depositional sequence and palaeogeography during deposition. This has led to an integrated solution which works on both sedimentological and structural grounds. There are local implications for the stratigraphy and structural geology elsewhere in the Scottish Dalradian, but, more importantly, it is an approach which must be more widely applied in order to make wider correlations beyond the British Dalradian to the rest of the Laurentian margin.

Fourteen granitoid plutons studied in the Baie d'Espoir area of southern Newfoundland are divisible into a northern group of eight and a southern group of six. The former tend to be undeformed, have thermal aureoles, and intrude greenschist facies Ordovician and Silurian rocks of the Dunnage zone following a period of folding and thrusting towards the SE. Four Rb-Sr whole-rock isochrons yield similar ages around 430 Ma for these plutons, fixing the deformation within early Silurian times. The latter plutons syntectonically intruded without aureole effects, and are all foliated and elongate parallel to the regional fabric of amphibolite facies gneisses and migmatites of the Gander zone. Whole-rock Rb-Sr isochrons around 350 Ma for both syntectonic and post-tectonic plutons indicate a rapid metamorphism, deformation, intrusion and uplift of the Gander zone in this area. There appear to be no systematic relationships between petrological and geochemical characteristics of the plutons and their tectono-stratigraphic setting. This study conclusively invalidates earlier hypotheses that deformed granitoid rocks of the Gander zone are older than the undeformed granitoids of the Dunnage zone; indeed, just the reverse is true.

Few of the mathematicians and philosophers of the present age have acquired a greater or better founded reputation than the celebrated Abbé Boscovich; and there is none from whose writings I have received such variety of instruction and entertainment. His Theory of Natural Philosophy will ever be considered by impartial judges, not only as one of the boldest, but also as one of the most ingenious researches into the secrets of nature. There is hardly a branch of physico-mathematical philosophy which he has not cultivated with success; and in this cultivation he has exhibited the most acute penetration and the greatest address. In all his investigations too he has given the most beautiful specimens of geometrical invention and elegance, and greatly heightens the pleasure of his readers, by marking out distinctly the progress of his own mind in his researches.

The present paper is the second of the series dealing with the Fossil Flora of the Staffordshire Coal Fields. As in previous memoirs, I give a short sketch of the Geology of the coal field, merely for the purpose of indicating the relationship of the beds to each other, from which the fossils have been derived.

Various memoirs dealing with the geological structure and resources of the Potteries Coal Field have already appeared, but in these the names applied to the different groups of strata which compose the Potteries Coal Field have generally special application to the local geological features, and do not treat of the Coal Field in its wider relationship, when considered as only forming a part of the Coal Measures as developed in Britain. A similar course has usually been taken in the published memoirs of other British Coal Fields, which makes a comparison of their relative ages, from the data given, very difficult.

Although the Mollusea have usually been collected and examined, from their great vertical distribution—in some cases extending throughout the whole range of carboniferous rocks—they as a whole afford little data for the determination of the divisions of the Coal Measures, and unfortunately the fossil plants appear to have received little attention when the memoirs of the various coal fields were being prepared.

A palynological study of the upper Silurian Öved–Ramsåsa Group in Skåne, Sweden yields a well preserved spore assemblage with low relative abundances of marine microfossils. In total, 26 spore taxa represented by 15 genera were identified. The spore assemblage is dominated by long-ranging cryptospore taxa, and the trilete spore Ambitisporites avitus-dilutus. However, key-species identified include Artemopyra radiata, Hispanaediscus lamontii, H. major, H. verrucatus, Scylaspora scripta and Synorisporites cf. libycus. Importantly, Scylaspora klintaensis was identified, allowing correlation with the Klinta 1 drillcore (Skåne). A Ludlow age is inferred for the exposed succession, which agrees well with previous conodont stratigraphy. The organic residue is dominated by phytodebris and spores, but with high relative abundances of acritarchs at two levels, possibly related to flooding surfaces.

Based on the palynofacies analysis, a near-shore marine environment is proposed. The close proximity to land is inferred by the high proportions of spores, and the dispersed assemblage most likely represents the local flora growing on delta plains. The palynological signal also infers a stable terrestrial environment and vegetation, in contrast to unstable conditions in the marine environment characterised by ooid formation in an evaporitic environment. Comparisons with coeval spore assemblages from Gotland, Avalonia and Laurentia show relatively close similarities in taxonomic composition at the generic level.

With their extensive fossil record and shells of stable low-Mg calcite, rhynchonelliform brachiopods are attractive sources of climate information via seawater temperature proxies such as stable oxygen isotope composition. In Terebratalia transversa (Sowerby) there is a progression towards oxygen isotope equilibrium in the calcite of the innermost secondary layer. This study confirms the lack of any vital effects influencing oxygen isotope composition of T. transversa, even in specialised areas of the innermost secondary layer. Calcite Mg/Ca ratio is another potential seawater temperature proxy, that has the advantage of not being influenced by salinity. Mg concentrations measured by electron microprobe analyses indicate that there is no concomitant decrease in Mg concentration towards the inner secondary layer, associated with the progressive shift towards oxygen isotope equilibrium. Mg distribution is heterogeneous throughout the shell and correlates with that of sulphur, which may be a proxy for organic components, suggesting that some of the Mg may not be in the calcite lattice. It is essential therefore, to determine the chemical environment of the magnesium ions to avoid any erroneous temperature extrapolations in brachiopods or any other calcite biomineral.

The Eocene sparid fauna (Teleostei: Percoidei) from Monte Bolca, Italy and from the London Clay, U.K. is revised based on re-examination of the type material and phylogenetic analyses of primarily osteological data. Two phylogenetic analyses, one of the Eocene taxa and a combined analysis of fossil and extant taxa, were performed. The addition of fossils to the extant data greatly increased numbers of most parsimonious trees, destabilising and obscuring basal relationships within the Sparidae. Combination of the data from fossil and extant data also affected relationships among the fossil taxa, changing some from those recovered using fossil data alone and destabilising others. Successive approximations character weighting supported the inclusion of the Eocene taxa within a monophyletic Sparidae. The genus Sparnodus, as previously conceived, is paraphyletic and is partitioned to remove the paraphyly. Five monotypic genera are recognised, including three new genera, Abromasta, Ellaserrata and Pseudosparnodus. Inclusion of the fossils in the phylogenetic analysis implies a minimum age of origin for the Sparidae of 55 Ma with most Recent sparid fauna in place no later than the Miocene, and provides further evidence that the diversification of feeding strategies occurred early on in the evolutionary history of the group.

A Description is given of the distribution and zonation of the dominant intertidal plants and animals found in a survey of rocky shores in Argyll, from Clachan Sound southwards to the south end of the Kintyre peninsula, thence northwards along the east side of Kintyre to Loch Fyne. Particular attention is given to two sheltered lochs, Loch Sween and West Loch Tarbert. Features of special interest in the area include: (i) a very small spring tide range (only 2–4 ft.) on much of the west coast of Kintyre, which results in a very compressed littoral zone by British standards; (ii) an unusual abundance of Chthamalus stellatus, often accompanied by a scarcity of Balanus balanoides, at very sheltered sites in Loch Sween and West Loch Tarbert (this problem is considered separately in Part II of the present paper); (iii) rich lower-shore populations in parts of the lochs, and especially associated with the Linne Mhuirich rapids in Loch Sween. In a concluding discussion the lower shore populations found in the survey area are compared with those observed in the rest of the British Isles. It is concluded that the rich lower-shore populations (often associated with rapid systems) that occur in many of the lochs on the west coast of Scotland constitute a major component of the littoral fauna and flora of the British Isles that has been largely unknown and neglected in the past because of the remoteness of many of the sites.

The seeds of Peganum Harmala contain two alkaloids, Harmaline and Harmine. The pharmacological actions of the former alkaloid have been described in a previous communication to this Society; in this paper an account is given of the pharmacology of the second alkaloid, Harmine.

Harmine (C13H12N2O) was discovered by Fritche in 1847. Apart from a few observations by Tappeiner, its pharmacology has not been investigated. Tappeiner states that, in mammals at least, the general nature of poisoning by harmine is qualitatively the same as by harmaline, but that the former alkaloid is weaker in action. He found that a dose of 0·2 gramme per kilo of harmine is fatal to the guinea-pig in about 12 hours, while the same dose is fatal to the rabbit in about 1 hour, and that a frog is killed in about 7 hours by a dose of 0·03 gramme (per kilo?). He states further that there appears to be one qualitative difference between the actions of the two alkaloids, in that harmine produces paralysis of reflex excitability before arrest of the heart. It may be stated here that this does not constitute a qualitative difference between the actions of harmaline and harmine, because the same effect is produced by harmaline.

The portion of Berwickshire, of which the object of this paper is to describe the more remarkable geological features, comprises, within a very limited space, an assemblage of phenomena of the highest interest, in relation to the wonderful changes which this part of our island has undergone in the earlier periods of the earth's history. Its situation is immediately to the north of Dunse, and its area is about 16 square miles, within which are comprehended the junctions of the greywacke rocks of the Lammermuirs, with the strata of the old red sandstone formation, and of the latter with the lower members of the coal measures. The chief eminences within the district are Cockburnlaw, which attains a height of 912 feet above the level of the sea; Dunselaw, 630 feet; the Knock, Borthwick, and Castlemains Hills; and the Staneshiel, a hill of the same formation as Cockburnlaw, from which it is separated by a ravine of 300 or 400 feet deep, in which the Whiteadder flows. The general topographical features of the district will be best understood by reference to the accompanying map.

The sensory fields of four Wenlock trilobites Proetus (Proetus) concinnus, Warburgella (Warburgella) stokesii, Warburgella (Warburgella) scutterdinensis, and Harpidella (Harpidella) maura are described and found to be species specific. Certain features, such as the small cell polygon size, and prismatic layer comprising about one tenth of the cuticle thickness are characteristic of Order Proetida. Intraspecific variation is related to ontogenetic development, most markedly in the field of the free cheek of P. (P.) concinnus. The proetid occipital pustule may have functioned as a light-sensitive organ. The tropidium W. (W.) stokesii is a ridge with a central canal or groove, rather than a tubular structure, and probably contained a sensory receptor rather than a circulatory system. Despite microstructural distribution being species specific, it is of limited practical value in taxonomy as the fine details are easily lost during diagenesis.

Bédard and Sparks' (BS) comments are very much appreciated as they giveus the opportunity to emphasise certain aspects of our observations which, in turn, mayclarify the discussion on the petrogenesis of the Rhum ultrabasic rocks. BS raised two questions which we answer below.

In a Paper on Vision through coloured Glasses, which I had lately the honour of submitting to the Society, I pointed out the advantages of coloured media in Microscopical and Telescopical observations. Having experienced the great utility of Green and Red lenses, in developing vegetable structures that required to be examined with high powers, I was anxious to derive from this new principle all the advantages which it appeared to possess. In attempting to do this, it became necessary to ascertain the power of giving distinct vision, which belonged to each separate colour of the spectrum, and though I had stated in my former paper, ‘that it was difficult to discover ‘any reason why one coloured medium should be preferred ‘to another, provided each of them transmits equal quantities ‘of homogeneous light;’ yet it was desirable to put this theoretical opinion to the test of direct experiment.