Recent Progress in Biology. xvii 



Such a notion of the oneness of matter is by no means 

 new, though there is much that is new in Crookes' special 

 hypothesis. It is interesting to find another investigatoi" 

 attacking the problem of the ultimate composition of the 

 elements from a different point of view. Within the past 

 two years, Professor Griinwald, of Prague, has published 

 some most remarkable papers on the spectra of hydrogen, 

 oxygen, carbon, magnesium, and cadmium ; the results of 

 which may be summarized in his own words : — " Many, 

 perhaps all, bodies hitherto considered as elements are 

 compounds composed of condensation forms of the primary 

 elements a and b of hydrogen (H^rba^) in various physical 

 modifications." If this be proved, Griinwald will indeed 

 have done a great work ; but we must look to the future, 

 and meanwhile keep our minds open. 



SHORT ADDRESS ON RECENT PROGRESS IN 

 BIOLOGY. 



By A. H. S. Lucas. 



In the unavoidable absence of Professor Spencer at our 

 last meeting, I was asked by the Council to report on recent 

 progress in Biology. It has been suggested to me that I 

 should speak on the results of the " Challenger Expedition," 

 inasmuch as the issue of the long series of Reports has come 

 to an end, and the office in Edinburgh is now closed ; and the 

 suggestion accords with my own inclination the more, since I 

 shall have an opportunity at an early date of speaking on the 

 more interesting local biological work of the year in another 

 place. 



It were easy to fill ten minutes — my allotted time — in 

 telling of this great enterprise, but it is not easy to compress 



