1888.] President's Address. 55 



Closely allied to, or rather forming part of, his morphological 

 labours are his numerous pala3ontological researches, carried out for 

 the most part while he was palaeontologist to the Geological Survey, 

 researches characterised by the same clear morphological insight, 

 researches which have been as profitable to animal morphology as 

 useful to the geologist. The most important are perhaps those on 

 the remarkable reptiles of the Elgin Sandstones and on the 

 Dinosauria ; but many others have great value, and his Anniversary 

 Address to the Geological Society, in 1870, made its mark. 



Though his career has been in the main that of a morphologist, he 

 has through the common ground of histology given considerable help 

 to physiology. An early paper by him ' On the Cell-Theory,' did 

 much to clear away erroneous notions concerning the relations of 

 structure to the actions of living beings. His article on * Tegumen- 

 tary Organs ' was a great step onward as regards both morphology 

 and histology, and still remains a classical work ; while, by other 

 papers and in various ways, he has contributed to the progress of 

 histology and physiology. 



But however important Mr. Huxley's original contributions to the 

 advancement of our scientific knowledge have been, we should form a 

 very inadequate idea of his benefits to the cause of science if we did 

 not bear in mind also his singular ability and effectiveness as an 

 expositor of science to the people, and the powerful influence he has 

 exerted in the improvement of the teaching of biology in its widest 

 sense in this country. Indeed, it is not too much to say that the 

 remarkable improvement which has taken place within the last few 

 years must be ascribed either directly or indirectly to his influence, 

 and has been in many cases due to his initiation. 



The Rumford Medal hag been awarded to Professor Pietro Tacchini 

 for important and long-continued investigations, which have largely 

 advanced our knowledge of the physics of the sun. 



Professor Tacchini occupies a foremost place among those who have 

 paid special attention to the physics of the sun. Since 1870 he has 

 unceasingly observed, first at Palermo, and afterwards at Rome, the 

 solar prominences. The information at our disposal at the present 

 time, both as regards their distribution, their spectra, and the changes 

 which take place in them, and their connexion with other solar 

 phenomena, rests to a large extent upon his individual efforts. His 

 memoirs on this subject are very numerous. He has been engaged in 

 the observation of four total solar eclipses, and from some of the 

 phenomena therein observed has drawn the important conclusion that 

 many of the so-called prominences are really descending currents. 



A Royal Medal has been awarded to Sir Ferdinand von Mueller for 

 his long services in Australian exploration, and for his investigations 

 of the flora of tlie Australian continent. 



