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of low organization, in which the great tree-like club-mosses 
grew and flourished. 
An interesting discussion followed, in which Mr. F. Lonez, 
Mr. Auten Harker, and Dr. Wricut took part, the latter 
expressing himself as well satisfied with this first Evening 
Meeting, which he had been mainly instrumental in bringing 
about. 
THE SECOND EVENING MEETING 
Was held at the Lecture Theatre of the Science School, in 
Gloucester, on Thursday, 16th of January, 1879, when papers 
were read by Mr. Jonn Sisrez, M.A., and by Mr. E. Wircnett, 
F.G.S. The subject of Mr. Srszen’s paper was “The Extension 
of the scope and interest of Natural Science within the last 
twenty years.” Having been asked to contribute some remarks 
on one of the general aspects of Natural Science, he thought 
he could not do better than endeavour to elicit opinion regarding 
the origin and development of organic forms—a question 
which, though it had scarcely engaged the serious attention 
of Naturalists prior to the publication of Darwin’s “ Origin 
of Species,” in 1859, was of paramount importance. Previous 
to that date a teleological or a crudely speculative bias had 
characterized the treatment of the question. Indeed until 
paleontological data had been abundantly collected, compared, 
and' sifted, hypotheses must have been framed in ignorance of 
by far the most important part of the evidence. Even if the 
existing fauna and flora could be supposed to represent all the 
ancient types, Naturalists would, apart from palzontology, 
have been examining the tree of evolution at the point where 
its branches most widely diverged. The demonstration of the 
sufficiency of existing causes to account for the aspects of 
nature in the past—a demonstration mainly due to Sir CuarizEs 
Lyrtnr—was also a necessary preliminary to the successful 
