PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 9 



present to dominate most people of all classes prevents the 

 addition of new workers into this subject or, I may add, any 

 other rational subject ! Coming to fossils, a most interesting 

 one has been found in the Isle of Wight, namely, an Iguanodon 

 in such perfect condition as to shew the skin, which is finely 

 granulated. The remains of small mammals, living and extinct, 

 have lately been collected in caves in Cuba, many of the bones 

 coming from the castings of the barn owl, which may explain 

 the origin of similar accumulations of small bones in other parts 

 of the world. 



ASTRONOMY. 



The thing that has undoubtedly caused the greatest stir in 

 the Astronomical world in the past year is Einstein's theory of 

 Relativity and the observation of the bending of the ray of 

 light from a star passing close to the sun during the eclipse of 

 May 29th, 1919, as calculated in accordance with the theory. 

 As to the theory itself I have read a good deal, including 

 several so-called explanations of what it is, both in scientific 

 and other papers; but these explanations are all so involved 

 and obscure that it is very difficult to understand, and I gather 

 that in saying this I am in the same condition as many noted 

 astronomers and others. One difficulty seems to be that the 

 theory is a mathematical one, and depends on equations which 

 deal with fourth dimensional space. This works out quite well 

 in mathematics, and can lead to satisfactory and comprehensible 

 results; but to grasp the idea of a fourth direction, at right 

 angles to the direction of length, breadth and height, is more 

 than the present human brain is capable of. As far as I can 

 comprehend it, the theory assumes that a certain equation 

 involving the three ordinary dimensions of space, with a fourth 

 one representing time, will always hold good for the position 

 of a particle at any moment, the terms of the equation being 

 altered in accordance with the conditions prevailing. In other 

 words, everything is in equilibrium, and any moving particle 

 will so affect everything else in the universe that all will still 



