XX Proceedings. 



the most interesting facts thus laid bare is the discovery that, 

 after passing through the various beds of the London Clay and 

 its congeners, vast series of strata which should underlie them 

 are found in the London area to be entirely absent, and con- 

 sequently strata of much earlier geological age are found imme- 

 diately beneath the comparatively modern tertiary beds. The 

 important bearing of these facts on water supply was pointed out. 



Mr Baldwin Latham followed with remarks on the bearing of 

 the facts of Mr. Whitaker's address on our own immediate 

 neighbourhood and its water-bearing capabilities. He agreed 

 with Mr. Whitaker in the extreme uncertainty of the Green- 

 sand as a water-bearing strata, and animadverted on the popular 

 idea that the deeper we go the greater is the chance of ob- 

 taining water, whereas, as he stated, the exact opposite is nearer 

 the truth. He condemned the site of the new wells now being 

 sunk by the Corporation at Addington. He was followed 

 on the same subject by Mr. Walker, the borough engineer, 

 Mr. Morland, chairman of the Borough Water Committee, and 

 other gentlemen. Mr. Topley added some very interesting and 

 important remarks on the frequent failure to obtain water in the 

 Greensand. 



A third paper was read by Mr. W. F. Stanley, " On the 

 Evolution of the Highest Types of Man within Historic Times." 

 Mr. Stanley's conclusions were chiefly founded upon a careful 

 series of observations made by him of ancient representations of 

 men, whether in statues, wall-paintings, or hieroglyphics, and go 

 to show that considerable changes have taken place within 

 recent times in the facial angle, the position of the ear, the 

 comparative length of the upper and lower limbs (the diflference 

 between these becoming more marked as we approach our own 

 time), and in the shortening and diminished mobility of the 

 toes, in all of which respects the modern man is developing a 

 type further and further removed from his quadrumanous 

 congeners. Time did not allow of a full discussion of this 

 interesting subject, which is one to the elucidation of which 

 every one can add something, if he will carefully observe all 

 ancient representations of men which he may come across, with 

 a special view to the points referred to by Mr. Stanley. For this 

 purpose Mr. Stanley uses a small graduated scale of ivory, with 

 the principal measurements of the human figure according to 

 Marshall's scale of proportion marked on it. This is held up 

 before the eye so as to cover the object looked at, and the 

 divergences from the standard proportion can be readily and 

 accurately noted (see Trans., art. 57). 



From this brief summary it will be seen that the monthly 

 evening meetings of the Club have well maintained their 

 interest. The discussions have, I think, been better sustained 



