( 379 ) . . V-- 



Presentation of the Wollaston Medal for 1840 to M. Dumont, 

 and one yeafs proceeds of the Wollaston Fund to Mr James 

 DE C. SowERBY, by the Geological Society. 



Dr BucKLAND, President, on presenting the Medal to Dr 

 FiTTox, to transmit to M. Dumont, said — 



" Dr Fitton, — I am gratified that it has become my duty 

 on the present occasion, to commit to your care, as the repre- 

 sentative of our common friend. Professor Dumont, the Wol- 

 laston Gold Medal, which has been awarded to him by the 

 Council for his Memoir on the geological constitution of the 

 province of Liege, published at Brussels in 1832.* The grounds 



justice would undoubtedly te rendered to the ideas of M. Poisson on the 

 causes of the temperature increasing towards the inner portions of the crust 

 of the globe ; attention Mould be bestowed on the observations of Herschel, 

 which lead to the supposition that our sun has not ahvays acted with the 

 same force ; and above all, calculations would not be made of an unreason- 

 able kind. If the proposition of internal incandescence were not so ardently 

 demanded by the volcanists, it would be promptly confessed that it is not at 

 all demonstrated bi) Ihe facts cited in its favour; above all, it would be con- 

 fessed, when use is made of thermometrical facts deduced from mines, pits, 

 &c. for calculating the degree of heat of some internal part of our planet, that 

 use is made also of a very gi'atuitous and rash supposition, viz. that the law 

 of the increase of temperature deduced from the series of temperatures ob- 

 ser\ed (a series truly ridiculous, v.'hen we reflect on the real dimensions of 

 the globe), must be correct at every distance from the surface. Volcanos 

 prove to us direclly, that there are portions in the interior of tlie earth which 

 are in a state of fusion ; but these portions are comparatively extremely 

 near the surface, and there are not sufficient reasons for believing that they 

 are not isolated. Besides, the changes of level of some parts of the surface, 

 came it to be presumed that the temperature of the corresponding portions in 

 the interior is v.iriable, but that it increases as well as diminishes. As to 

 the actual state of the central portion of our globe, it must be confessed, that 

 vro, are in perfect ignorance in respect to it, and that, as much after being in 

 possession of observations on the temperature of some points of the crust of 

 our planet, as before that time." 



• The title of this work is, " M! moire sur la Constitution Giulcyique de la 

 J*rovince de Lirge, en reponie a la question suivant : ' Faire la description yiologique 

 de la J'roeincc de Liege ; indiijuer Icsespices miiiHralcs et les/ussiles accidentelt que 

 Voii y rencontre, arec Vlndicatiun des loc<.ditis et la synonymic des iwms sovs les- 

 quels Ics substances dcja connues out Hi dccrites.' Qui a remporti le prix an con- 

 court de VAcadtmie de BruxeUcs, en 1030. Par A. II. Dumont." 4to. I>p. 374. 

 With 8 geological map, a table of formation^-, and soctione. — Enix. 



