The effect of the natural sand-blast of the desert in eroding soft and hard rock has long been known, and attracted much attention, but I cannot call to mind any account of the effect of blowing sand impinging upon wood.

Mr. Herbert J. Jessop, who has recently returned from a journey in Eastern Peru, kindly placed in my hands, for examination, some specimens of graptolites which he had obtained on the River Macho, one of the tributaries of the Inambari, near the celebrated mountain Capac Orco, or Monte Bello, in the province of Carabaya, Peru (lat. 13° 40′ S.; long. 70° 10′ W.). The locality is situated on the north-east of the main watershed, and the rivers flow eventually into the Amazon. The difficulties of travelling make it likely that a long time will elapse before other specimens are forthcoming from this locality; it seems desirable, therefore, that some account of these should be published.

In this paper the author deals with some of the results obtained in the course of a survey of Eastern Sinai during the season of 1898–99, his remarks being based on a map carefully prepared by his colleague, Mr. H. G. Skill, F.R.G.S., and on his own topographical and geological observations.

The paper under consideration deals briefly with the geological features of Eastern Sinai, and more especially with the characters of the sedimentary rocks developed in that region, a short note on the igneous rocks being also appended.

[In a recently published paper Dr. N. O. Holst, of the Geological Survey of Sweden, has given a detailed description of the Post-Glacial deposits of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia. The paper is accompanied by a map showing the chief points of observation. The determination of the different horizons depends on (1) the stratigraphy; (2) the sub-fossil diatomaceous flora; (3) the sub-fossil higher flora. The stratigraphical evidence is in the form of numerous sections, taken all along the coast. The diatoms are used chiefly, but not solely, to distinguish the marine from the fresh-water deposits; their determinations, nearly 3,000 in number, are due to Professor P. T. Cleve and his daughter, Dr. Astrid Cleve. The remains of the higher plants have been determined by Dr. Gunnar Andersson.

On June 10th, 1898, whilst on an excursion with the Yorkshire Geological and Polytechnic Society, I found three specimens of fish remains in the Millstone Grits at Summit in Lancashire. Subsequently, on several occasions, I again visited the district and succeeded in collecting a large number of fish remains, and on these, together with a few other specimens which had been found in these rocks at rare intervals, I have based the following paper.

In the “Gallery of Nature,” Milner, p. 388, it is stated that Brighton (then a mere village) in the time of Elizabeth (1558–1603) “stood upon a site where the sea now rolls, and where the chain pier stands.” We might infer from this statement that at Brighton the sea, since the date mentioned, had been elevated over the land. We cannot draw this conclusion, however, with certainty, for the reasons following:—

During the last century the eastern coast of England has been constantly eaten into by the sea; churches, farms, and towers have been repeatedly devoured by the waves. In this district, however, we know that these results have not been caused by a rise in surface-level of the waters; we know that erosion by waves and currents has been the sole cause for these changes. It is absurd, therefore, to assume that Brighton during the last few centuries has alone suffered submergence, while all Britain has elsewhere undergone continual upheaval. Erosion, then, is the more probable explanation of this item, and it should not be held as evidence conflicting with our curve.