1871 THE COUNCIL OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY 309 



am I convinced that all of them I have seen form part 

 of a great purely subaerial volcano = the Welsh marine 

 or semi-marine set. I am assisting at a bit of mapping 

 which Aveline cannot make up his mind about, and 

 I have made up mine. ... I hope to leave this on 

 Tuesday or Wednesday for Kirkby Stephen. It is 

 tough work here, driving twelve miles and then 

 climbing, like a climbing boy, mountains from 2000 

 to 3000 feet high during equinoxious gales. Sir R. 

 continues just the same. Ever sincerely, 



A. C. RAMSAY. 



LONDON, 13^ December 1871. 



MY DEAR GEIKIE Austen has decided to take 

 the Presidency of the Geological Society. 1 That is 

 well. But the Society is not flourishing in papers. 

 I am glad we are to have a strong President, and we 

 must try to get a strong council, made of men of mark. 

 When Dallas wrote me the other day, asking if I had 

 no papers to fill the void, I replied that I had none 

 ready, and of course could not write for the sake of 

 writing. I also said that they might have more were 

 it not that authors of theoretical papers were afraid 

 to send them in for fear of the fatherly care of the 



Council. Green's last paper was squashed, by 



in particular. You will see it in the Geological 

 Magazine. I have a great mind to send in a paper 

 entitled ' The Wonderful, the Councillor,' with illustra- 

 tions, by Rutley, of living examples. When at Clapham 

 (Ingleborough) last Friday I explored a cave 800 yards 

 long with Tiddeman. Ever sincerely, 



A. C. RAMSAY. 



1 In the end he was obliged to decline the office. 



