1 54 Royal Geological Society of Cornwall. 



struction by the introduction of elementary essays at these meet- 

 ings, in the liope of exciting a greater taste for geological pursuits. 



A Report, read last year, on the Progress and Prospects of the 

 Society, warmly advocated the importance of this measure, as a 

 means of training up a succession of working Members to supply 

 the places of those who are from time to time removed by various 

 casualties:— and the anticipation of such losses has been fearfully 

 realised during so short an interval. Mr. Giddy, who so long and 

 ably filled the office of Curator, is no morel — and several distin- 

 guished Members, all formerly Vice-Presidents,^ — Sir Rose Price, 

 Bart., Mr. Praed, and Mr. Humphry Grylls, — have also paid the 

 debt of nature ! 



But we must not thus briefly pass over the death of our late ex- 

 cellent Curator, — his laborious and useful services justly merit our 

 warmest gratitude. Mr. Giddy was one of the original Members 

 of the Society, and up to the time of his decease, a period of twenty 

 years, he continued to take an active part in the management of its 

 affairs. He has not contributed any memoir to the Transactions; 

 but to him we are solely indebted for the arrangement of the Mu- 

 seum, a service which must be esteemed as one of the most impor- 

 tant that has been rendered to this Institution. His memory will be 

 preserved in the Society's records as one of its first and most la- 

 mented benefactors, — and handed down to his successors in office, 

 as an example worthy of their imitation. 



By the departure of the Rev. George Pigott for India the Society 

 has lost a Member whom it could but ill spare, as he had just en- 

 tered on the active duties of a working geologist. And to add to 

 this lengthened catalogue of casualties, a serious accident has for 

 awhile deprived us of the valuable services of Mr. Carne ; we have, 

 however, the satisfaction to be able to look forward to his speedy 

 restoration. 



During the past year the apartments have been much improved 

 and embellished : — and a great addition has been made to the cabinets 

 in the back room, which is now entirely appropriated to the illus- 

 tration of Cornish geology ; and it is expected that in the course of 

 the ensuing year this important department of the Museum will be 

 completely arranged. It will be seen by the Curator's Report that 

 the collection continues to receive considerable donations, the 

 whole having amounted during the year to more than a thousand 

 specimens : amongst these, two series from India, one from Mexico, 

 and another from Brazil, may be more particularly specified. 



Many works have been lately purchased for the library, including 

 Sowerby's Mineral Conchology, and [G. B. Sowerby's] Genera of 

 Recent and Fossil Shells. And Lindley and Hutton's Fossil Flora, 

 and Agassiz's Researches on Fossil Fishes, now in progress of pub- 

 lication, have been ordered. 



Mr. Henwood has at length terminated his survey of the mines : 

 he will therefore now be able to arrange his extensive series of 

 specimens, for which a distinct cabinet has been set apart. And he 

 has promised to complete his paper on the Metalliferous Veins of 

 Corowall against thenextanniversary ; — by which time it is expected 



