20 



on an estate near Eastbourne, and wliicli, though much trouble was 

 taken to preserve them, invariably died out, because, being so con- 

 spicuous in colour, they were easily observed by both mammalian 

 and feathered foes, and fell victrms to dogs, foxes, cats, and falcons. 

 Again, white pigs, not having theii' olfactory organs so keen as those 

 of the nonnal colour, ate poisonous herbs and died ; so that in a 

 state of nature there was no chance of such an aberration sundving. 

 On the other hand, as a protective colour, was instanced the case of 

 the northern hare (leptis variabilis), which became white dming 

 winter in Norway. Sweden, and Russia, gi'ey in Scotland, and in 

 Ireland did not change colour at all. 



Although one of the most painstaking of natui'aUsts, and most 

 genial of men, Mi-. Darwin was, remarked Mr. Weir, perhaps the 

 most vehemently abused person in existence, and it had been more 

 than once said of him that he had done more mischief than any 

 living man. INIr. Weir felt, however, that he was addressing an 

 Association which thought veiy differently on the subject, and he 

 was sure that Mr. Darwin would feel much gratified at the cordial 

 manner in which the toast had that day been received. 



A long and interesting account of this visit to Mr. Dai^win, 

 from the pen of the eminent traveller, Herr Hesse-Wartegg, appeared 

 in the Frankfurter Zeitung, of Friday, 30th July, 1880. 



TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5th. 



A Lecture was delivered by Francis Bond, Esq.. M.A., F.G.S., 

 on "Glaciers and Glaciation." 



Glaciers are most easily described as ice-rivers. They abound 

 in mountainous parts of the world ; being veiy numerous in Switzer- 

 land, on the Himalayas, and in New Zealand, while on the Andes 

 they are rarer. In colder cHmates they are of immense size ; in 

 Greenland there is one which is at least 69 mUes in breadth. The 

 antarctic regions are covered by a veritable ice sheet, which is from 

 50 to 180 feet above the level of the sea. 



The resemblance of a glacier to a river helps to realise some of 

 its characteristics : like a river, it moves downwards and wears away 



