312 



Anniversary fleeting. 



activity in the British Isles from the earliest geological ages to 

 Middle Tertiary times. 



In the first series of these papers commencing* with the " Chrono- 

 logy of the Trap Rocks of Scotland" (1861), and ending with the 

 " Tertiary Volcanic Rocks of the British Isles" (1869), abundant 

 original proofs were advanced of the activity of volcanic action in the 

 Western Isles of Scotland, and of its long duration in geological 

 time. The second series (1871-88) was especially distinguished by 

 the publication of his remarkable paper on the " Carboniferous Vol- 

 canic Rocks in the Basin of the Firth of Forth," our earliest, and, as 

 yet, oar only monograph on a British volcanic area belonging to a 

 pre-Tertiary geological system. The third series (begun in 1888) 

 commenced with his memoir on the " History of Volcanic Action 

 during the Tertiary Period in the British Isles," a paper which is by 

 far the most detailed and masterly contribution yet made to the 

 subject, and for which the Brisbane Medal was awarded him by the 

 Royal Society of Edinburgh ; and this succession of papers has been 

 followed by the publication of others of almost equal importance. 



Sir Archibald Geikie has also written many papers and memoirs 

 bearing upon geological processes arid their effects, which have become 

 permanent parts of oar scientific literature. 



While carrying out this highly important original work in Geology, 

 Sir Archibald has most materially contributed to the advancement 

 and diffusion of scientific knowledge by his many educational works 

 upon Geology and Physical Geography. His ' Elementary Lessons 

 on Physical Geography' has passed through several English and 

 Foreign editions ; his ' Outlines of Field Geology ' is now in its 

 fifth edition ; and his article on Geology originally contributed to 

 the ' Encyclopaedia Britannica ' in 1879 was afterwards expanded 

 by him into his well-known ' Text- book of Geology,' which has 

 become the acknowledged British standard of Geology in general. 



ROYAL MEDAL. 

 Professor C. V. Boys. 



The other Royal Medal is awarded to Professor Boys, who has 

 given to physical research a method of measuring minute forces far 

 exceeding in exactness any hitherto used, by his invention of the 

 mode of drawing quartz fibres, and by his discovery of their remark- 

 able property of perfect elastic recovery. 



Professor Boys has himself made several very important researches 

 in which he has employed these fibres to measure small forces. Using a 

 combination of a thermo- junction with a suspended coil in a galvano- 

 meter of the usual D'Arsonval type, a combination first devised by 

 D'Arsonval himself, Professor Boys developed the idea in the micro- 





