708 Chronicles of Science. | Oct., 
is president, has also had the advantage of an admirable address from 
that gentleman ; in which he ably reviewed the events of the past year, 
naturally dwelling upon those geological discoveries which have caused 
so much discussion in relation to the disputed antiquity of man, and 
gave a well-digested summary of the evidence afforded by the discovery 
of the shell-mounds of Denmark, the lake dwellings of Switzerland, the 
elephant remains at Saint Prest, near Chartres, and the quaternary 
gravels of the Somme. Nor did the questions of Anthropology meet 
with less than their share of criticism; and the opinions of Waitz, 
Huxley, and others, received considerable attention. Professor Max 
Miiller’s view of the original unity of all existing languages, and Mr. 
Crawfurd’s counter-view, were also set forth, with a strongly expressed 
opinion against the former. The whole address forms an excellent 
and philosophic summary of these leading scientific topics of the day 
from the pen of one well able to deal, with them, and to express an 
independent opinion. 
‘The Plymouth Institution and Devon and Cornwall Natural His- 
tory Society,’ is another active body in the West of England, one of 
whose objects is, like the ‘Tyneside Club,’ the cataloguing of the 
natural productions of those counties. The last published number of 
their Transactions contains lists of the mammals, birds, reptiles, am- 
phibia and lepidopterous insects of Devon, which cannot fail to be 
of service in elucidating the general natural history and distribution 
of animals in these islands. It is also enriched with a paper by 
Mr. Pengelly, on the Red Sandstone, Conglomerates, and Marls of 
Devonshire. 
Other Western Societies which are keeping up the lamp of science 
with assiduity, are the ‘ Bristol Naturalists’ Society,’ whose monthly 
Proceedings find a place in the ‘ British Daily Post’; and the ‘ Bath 
Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club,’ whose president is the 
Rev. Leonard Jenyns. An admirable address from this venerable 
naturalist to the club now lies before us, but our space will only allow 
us to thus briefly refer to it. 
In the Eastern district ‘and near London, the ‘ West Kent Natural 
History, Microscopical, and Photographic Society,’ which has absorbed 
the ‘Greenwich Field Naturalists’ Club, and is supported by many 
leading scientific men of London, whose residence outside the metro- 
polis enables them thus to meet periodically on Blackheath, for the 
prosecution of their favourite pursuits. Of this club the excellent 
Linnean Secretary, Mr. Currey, is president, and a most interesting 
address from him, on the progress of science, has been circulated. 
Among naturalists’ field clubs, however, none have met with so 
surprising success as that at Liverpool. This club was established at 
Liverpool in 1860, the year following the foundation of a similar club 
at Manchester; but the former has outstepped the latter, and its 
steadily increasing number of members has now reached about 700. 
There can be no question that this club has done much to disseminate 
a taste for and knowledge of natural history, more especially of botany, 
in Liverpool. During the winter months periodical meetings are held, 
at which lectures are delivered and specimens exhibited, mm which the 
