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" has been a subject of doubt to many who wish 

 " well to our institution, and do not undervalue 

 " the personal character and disposition of our 

 " members. But so long as our conversations 

 M are carried on with the urbanity by which they 

 " have hitherto been distinguished, while it is 

 " the wish of those who share in them to give or 

 " to receive information, and not to shine and 

 " the object is not victory but truth there seems 

 "to be no reason to apprehend any very serious 

 " injury from the continuance of our geological 

 " warfare." 



Mr. Babbage, again, speaks thus of the dis- 

 cussions of the Geological Society : " To say of 

 " these discussions that they are very entertain- 

 " ing, is the least part of the praise which is due 

 " to them ; they are generally very instructive, 

 " and sometimes bring together isolated facts in 

 " the science, which, though insignificant when 

 " separate, mutually illustrate each other, and 

 " mutually lead to important conclusions :" he 

 adds, very properly, that the "continuance of 

 " these discussions evidently depends upon the 

 " taste, the temper, and the good sense of the 

 "speaker;" and he then gives the following 

 excellent rules with respect to their manage- 

 ment " The things to be avoided are chiefly 

 " verbal criticisms praise of each other beyond 

 " its reasonable limits and contests for victory : 



