SiiS Geological Society : Anniversary Address, X&^'i. 



bias of liis mind shines forth in his splendid bequest to the Royal 

 Academy. Persuaded (from whatever cause arising) that art is not 

 appropriately encouraged in our country, he has decreed that Bri- 

 tisli genius shall no longer droop for want of enlightened assistance. 

 His munificent endowment of native art is Chantrey's proudest monu- 

 ment, and must, indeed, produce effects far beyond the portals of 

 our national gallery. But whatever may be the ultimate effect of 

 this patriotic bequest, we must gratefully admire the spirit which 

 dictated it, and ever feel a just pride in having had so good a man 

 for our warm friend, so great a sculptor for a co-operating associate. 



Mr. Bowman, whom we have very recently lost, was a naturalist 

 who, as far as his other avocations permitted, did much good service 

 in practical geology. His chief attainments lay in botany, and he 

 is the author of several publications upon that science. Residing 

 formerly at Wrexham, he acquired a very intimate knowledge of 

 the carboniferous tracts to the south and west of that town, and he 

 communicated to myself a good deal of valuable, original matter 

 connected with them and the adjacent older rocks, shortly before 

 tlie 'Silurian System' appeared. He afterwards favoured this So- 

 ciety with some very excellent details concerning a group of Upper 

 Silurian rocks in Denbighshire, and their junction with old red 

 sandstone and mountain limestone, pointing out some essential mine- 

 ral variations in these rocks upon the northern frontier of Wales, 

 as compared with the typical strata of the same age in Shropshire 

 and the centre of the Silurian region. After he removed his resi- 

 dence to Manchester, where he died, he pursued science with re- 

 newed zeal, and was one of the most active promoters and officers 

 of the Geological Society of that town. To be convinced indeed of 

 his ardour and research, you have only to refer to the first volume 

 of the Transactions of the Manchester Society, and you will find 

 that four out of eleven memoirs are from the pen of our late asso- 

 ciate. I shall also have occasion in the sequel to advert to a short 

 memoir upon the glacial question which is amongst his most recent 

 productions *. His loss in Manchester must indeed be seriously 

 felt, and from my own knowledge I can state that his absence is not 

 only to be regretted in these rooms, but also that his presence will 

 be much missed in the approaching assembly of the British Associa- 

 tion for the Advancement of Science, for he had been a frequent 

 attendant at former, meetings, and had never failed both to communi- 

 cate papers and to serve in any office in which he could be useful. 

 In estimating his character, I should say that Mr. Bowman took 

 a high place in that class of authors who silently but steadily ad- 

 vance science by short and clear monographs on subjects with which 

 they are familiar. As the class is not large, so can we ill afford to 

 spare the assistance of one who, like Mr. Bowman, really distin- 

 guished himself in this modest but highly useful walk. 



By the death of Mr. Thomas Edington of Glasgow, we lose one 

 of the old and valued members of the Society, pud whose name is 



* Philosophical Magazine, November 1841. 



