304 Geological Society : Annual General Meeting, 1840. 



commercial importance, as describing the structure and contents of 

 a rich and productive carboniferous district containing eighty-three 

 beds of valuable coal ; and its practical utility has been fully shown, 

 by the fact of a second edition having been required to supply the 

 demands of the landed proprietors, and persons practically interested 

 in the operations and products of the coal mines. 



The geological tribunal of Brussels, including the highly distin- 

 guished geologist Omalius d'Halloy, at once appreciated duly, and 

 rewarded as they deserved, these brilliant discoveries ; but the phae- 

 nomena represented on M. Dumont's map and sections were so un- 

 usually complex and improbable, that the geologists of England 

 could not but forbear to admit their reality, until it was fully 

 confirmed by our personal examination, with the aid of that 

 new light which M. Dumont's discoveries had thrown upon them. 

 The result of such inquiry has been a full corroboration of M. Du- 

 mont's representations, and at this late hour we at length come for- 

 ward with the homage of our tardy but sincere acknowledgements ; 

 a duty too long delayed, from the exercise of precaution in its admi- 

 nistration, but for this very reason now become more urgent, when 

 the grounds for conscientiously discharging it have passed the or- 

 deal of severe and critical investigation. It is for this great work 

 then on the geological constitution of the Province of Liege, such 

 as in 1832 it issued from the hands of a young, and then unknown 

 individual, and apart from any more recent attempts to identify the 

 Belgian formations with those of England, that our Society has 

 awarded to M. Andre Hubert Dumont their Gold Wollaston Medal 

 for the present year ; in testimony of their admiration of the almost 

 precocious talents then displayed by him, and of their sense of his 

 worthiness to fill the distinguished scientific position to which he is 

 now advanced, as Professor of Mineralogy and Geology in the Col- 

 lege of Liege*. 



Dr. Fitton, on receiving the Medal from the hands of the Presi- 

 dent, said, that he had been requested by M. Dumont to express his 

 great regret that unavoidable duties prevented his appearing in 

 person on this occasion. M. Dumont's letter states with deep feeling 

 his sense of the honour which the Geological Society of London has 

 thus conferred upon him, and his hope that he may soon be enabled 

 to come into England, for the purpose of extending his personal ac- 

 quaintance with the members of this Society, and of being enabled, 

 with the aid of their knowledge, to perfect the comparison of the 

 ancient strata of Belgium with those of this country. The Society 

 could not but anticipate great advantage to Geology from the ap- 

 plication of M. Dumont's talents to the comparative inquiries to 

 which his letter alludes. 



On presenting the prize awarded to Mr. James De Carle Sowerby, 

 Dr. Buckland said : 



It is with no small pleasure that I rise to perform the duty of 



* [A paper by M. Dumont " On the Equivalents of the Cambrian and 

 Silurian Systems in Belgium," will be found in Lond. and Edinb. Phil. 

 Mag., vol. xv. p. 146. EDIT.] 



