, "Sy a a? » —: “a 
ae 
vii 
Alps, of presumed Triassic age, of Orthoceratites and Belemnites 
together, forms hitherto supposed to have been widely separated 
in time and distinctive of systems, of which each was considered 
to be one of the most remarkable organisms. 
(See President of the Geological Society’s anniversary Address, 
in the Geological Quarterly Journal, May, 1856, page lxvi-lxviii.) 
“ These are ‘hard lines’ for those who will persist in drawing 
them, particularly when taken in connection with a proposition of 
Mr. Alfred Wallace (referred to in the same Address, page exiii.) 
‘That every species has come into existence coincident both in 
space and time, with a pre-existing closely allied species.’ Al- 
though Mr. Hamilton, the President, remarks that he thinks ‘ It 
may be doubted whether this assumed law can be maintained as a 
universal generalization,’ this is a question which has not been 
and must be fairly worked out, and must therefore long remain an 
open one amongst Geologists and Paleontologists who are worthy 
Members of such Associations as ours, who humbly, reverently, 
and conscientiously, venture to approach the veil of the Shrine of 
the Great Designer, as nearly as the traces of His presence in His 
works, as revealed to their limited capacities may lead them, how- 
ever distasteful the attempt may be to those, with whose little 
theories (the inflating power of their ‘ bubble reputations’) it may 
interfere. 
«Tet us pray’ that we may be enabled to attach less import- 
ance, in all our undertakings as a body, to the gratification of 
petty conceits and personal vanities, the exhibition of mere low 
cunning and grumbling astuteness, than to the philosophical con- 
templation, the truthful appreciation, and thankful admiration of 
the works of the Creator. 
“T fear I have somewhat Germanized some of my sentences, 
but really have not time to revise them, which pray excuse. 
“ At the dinner table our members were augmented by the pre- 
sence of Mr. Lysons and party, who had met us at Drybrook. 
“ After the usual amount of pleasant discussion and interchange 
of ideas, a delightful day closed, and each one ‘ went to his place.’ 
“T ought, perhaps, to have inserted elsewhere in my report, but 
mention here, that an exceedingly good specimen of an Astacus, 
found by Miss Slatter, in the Great Oolite, of Stratton, near 
Cirencester, was exhibited by myself.” 
July 15th, 1856.—Journey to Avebury.—A small party, includ- 
ing the Rev. Canon Powell and Mr. Thomas Warner, met to 
breakfast at the Swindon Station Hotel, whence proceeding to the 
hospitable residence of the Rev. H. Light, after inspecting the 
many objects of interest he so kindly introduced to our notice, 
we wended our way to the far-famed Avebury Circles. Here Mr. 
Light having first made a ground plan of the Circles, marking 
both the existing stones and places of the absent ones, we were 
by this—assisted by the Rev. Gentleman’s tact and local know- 
