644 president's address. 



than anyone in the history of its progress. They are justly the 

 pride of British Science — Sir Charles Lyell for his brilliant genius 

 in s^'stematising Geology, and the Dean for the way he made the 

 science attractive and popular. My parcel of fossils was not long 

 without an answer. The letter of Sir Charles has an interest 

 which will warrant my giving it in extenso. It ran as follows : 



''Your letter preceded the packet of fossils by some six weeks, 

 but they have come to hand safelj'. I am very much interested 

 in them, and so are all to whom I have shown them, especially 

 Mr. Busk, who is our greatest authority on Bnjozoa, both living 

 and fossil. I have j)laced my collection in his hands, and he 

 promises to make them the subject of a paper to be read before 

 the Geological Society. I must leave it to himself to tell you 

 whether they are new or not. With regard to the question you 

 ask as to the age of these Australian beds, I find it very difficult 

 to give you a reply. You are certainly right in regarding them 

 as tertiary, but their position will depend upon their relation to 

 the existing marine fauna in Australia. This is a matter which 

 can only be undertaken by Naturalists in Australia. I am 

 informed that very little is known of the marine zoology of the 

 seas around your continent. Since your fossils arrived I have 

 made inquiry about a good collection of typical Australian marine 

 shells, but without success. Dr. Gray informs me that the best 

 authentic specimens in the British Museum are from the North 

 Coast. Of those said to be from South Australia the localities 

 given are not always to be relied upon. This may seem 

 disheartening to you, but if you will view it rightly it will open 

 a most encouraging field for your inquiries. "What I should 

 advise you to do is to make yourself thoroughly acquainted with 

 the marine zoology of South Australia, Without troubling 

 yourself with specific names, collect wherever you can and examine 

 collections of marine objects. Compare them with all the fossil 

 forms you know. By such means you will soon be in a position 

 to tell more of the age of your tertiary beds than the most learned 



