27 
in Europe had made their way so far to the west. Ireland was 
separated first, and consequently has a more limited fauna than 
England, whose connection with the continent lasted much longer. 
This is shown by the fact, pointed out by Mr. Wallace in his 
“JTsland Life,” that Germany has 90 species of mammals, while 
Britain has only 40, and Ireland 22. Also Belgium has 22 species 
of amphibia and reptiles, while Britain has but 13, and Ireland 
only 4. So that Ireland became separated from us before more 
than 22 kinds of mammals and 4 kinds of amphibia and reptiles 
had secured a permanent footing there. 
And so the subsidence continued; the North Sea crept further 
south, and the Atlantic worked its way up the Channel, uniil the 
two united at the Strait of Dover, and Great Britain became an 
island. So it has continued ever since. Many minor and local 
changes have occurred, and are still in progress. We have no 
grounds for looking upon the present state of things as final, or to 
imagine that the results of these changes may not be of the same 
magnitude as those I have attempted to describe. 
The Lecture was illustrated by Lautern Slides, and by a series 
of maps illustrating the Physical Geography of Great Britain 
during the Tertiary Period. The Lecture Hall was completely 
filled, and great interest was shown in the subject. 
Novemser llr, 1890. 
A combined meeting of the Natural History and the Microscopical 
Societies was held, and took the form of a Conversazione. A large 
number of objects were shown; the attendance was very good. 
The Secretary was absent through illness. 
The following Societies have arranged to exchange their publica- 
tions for those of our own :— 
The Scientific Association, Meriden, Cenn., U.S. 
The Academy of Sciences, New York. 
The Academy of Sciences, Philadelphia. 
The Elliott Society of Science and Arts, Charleston. 
The Rochester Academy of Science, Rochester, N.Y. 
The Imperial German Academy, Halle-on-the-Saale. 
The Tunbridge We'ls Nat. Hist. Society. 
The Huddersfield Naturalists’ Society. 
The East Kent Nat. Hist. History. 
The Brighton and Sussex Nat. Hist. Society. 
The Eastbourne Nat. Hist. Society. 
The Harrogate Nat. and Scientific Society. 
The Geological Society, Glasgow. 
