8 PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



rest, and was some time ago producing about 400 gallons per 

 day. But oil has been found here before in small quantities 

 which have not fulfilled the hopes thereby raised. It is now 

 considered that petroleum has no connection with coal or 

 organic matter, but is probably the result of the decomposition 

 of carbides or compounds of carbon with iron or some metal. 

 Borings for oil have also been commenced in Persia, where rich 

 deposits are believed to exist. The export of coal from 

 Spitzbergen is increasing, most of it of Tertiary formation and 

 situated at considerable heights above sea level, though 

 carboniferous and Jurassic coal are also found. A new source 

 of aluminium, labrador stone, has been discovered in Norway, 

 w r here there is no bauxite, from which it is usually extracted. 

 Labrador stone is a white rock forming mountain masses and 

 looking something like marble. On May 20th, 1919, the 

 volcano Kloet in Java suddenly discharged a great quantity of 

 hot mud in three streams, which caused much damage and loss of 

 life. An earthquake took place near Florence on June 29th, 

 causing much destruction, and is stated to be the most severe 

 earthquake in that district since 1895. Those at Messina in 

 1908 and Avezzano in 1915 were however much worse. In 

 Mexico a serious earthquake occurred on January 3rd, shocks 

 continuing at intervals for more than a week. From a study 

 of some of the genera of plants common to the West Indies 

 and the mainland of America, it is considered that these were 

 probably continuous in late Tertiary times, as they have certain 

 features in common. In connection with the Photographic 

 Survey of Dorset, to which in the past the many volumes of 

 valuable photographs in our Museum bear such splendid 

 testimony, and which, now that the war is over, will, it is hoped, 

 be resumed with energy, I may mention a series of photographs 

 taken from an aeroplane, illustrating in this novel way the 

 topography and geological features of Palestine. The 

 President of the Geological Section of the British Association 

 points out some of the important discoveries made by amateur 

 geologists, such as that of the Piltdown skull, but fears that the 

 passion for sport and amusements of all sorts which seems at 



