438 



NA TURB 



{Sept. 14, 1876 



had said in reference to the great value of the communication of 

 his Grace, There were, however, some points to which he must 

 take exception. He considered that the arrangement of the 

 strata which form the metamorphic rock of the Highlands was 

 not so difficult to unravel as some inferred. The southern por- 

 tion of the series in many spots afforded clear section of the 

 sequence and contortions, and he would specially refer to the 

 section between Loch Tay and Glen Lyon. This section afforded 

 clear evidence of mountains lying in a synclinal trough, a cir- 

 cumstance which could not be accounted for by contortions pro- 

 ducing hills and valleys. He also agreed with Professor Geikie 

 in considering that the Old Red Sandstone formerly covered a 

 very large portion of the metamorphic rock, and he was more 

 disposed to refer the outline of the Highlands to superficial 

 denudations than elevations or subsidences of metamorphic 

 strata. He referred to the importance of an investigation of the 

 glaciation of the Outer Hebrides in any effort to solve the glaci- 

 ation of the Highlands and Islands, He had for several years 

 taken observations in these islands in regard to this subject, 

 and the conclusions he had come to were that the whole of these 

 outer islands had been glaciated from the Atlantic to the West ; 

 secondly, that during the period of submergence in the glacial 

 epoch, icebergs and floes had dropped blocks on all our islands, 

 many of which were finally perched ; thirdly, he thought that 

 local glaciers had also existed in Harris, at least, if not in South 

 Uist, The glaciation of the Outer Islands was remarkably fine 

 and should be visited by all interested in the glaciation of Scot- 

 land, Mr. Thomson had examined the conglomerates from the 

 Mull of Kintyre to Loch Inver, in Ross-shire, and had never 

 found a single section of the strata that contained similar pebbles 

 and boulders to those found on the shores of Jura and Islay. 

 He could not agree with Mr. Jolly in saying that the drifted 

 boulders found in the Island {of Lewis had all drifted from the 

 "West. Many were traceable to the mainland Cambrian age, 

 and were found in Gare Loch and neighbourhood. In reference 10 

 the flexures of the valleys he quite agreed with his Grace, and re- 

 ferred to Tarbert, Loch Fyne, where there was one great flexure, 

 rocks being contorted and broken up into every conceivable 

 aspect ; the great depth of water in Loch Fyne inducing the belief 

 that the contour of the country was established previous to the 

 deposition of the Mesozoic rocks. 



The Rev. H, W, Crosskey remarked that the general glacial 

 phenomena of Scotland could be explained without recurrence 

 to the ice sheet. These phenomena were largely connected with 

 local conditions. The absence of any positive marks of sea- 

 beaches was no proof against submergence. In many cases a 

 small deposit accidentally discovered proved the submergence of 

 miles of country. Some great salient facts in the order of events 

 stood fairly established. In the first instance the land stood at 

 a higher level. This was proved by remains of rivers beneath 

 boulder clay, and other facts. Subsidence then occurred, and 

 glacial shell clays were deposited. Owing to subsequent re- 

 elevation a slight subsidence probably again took place previous 

 to the final upheaval. As regards the last upheaval, he held 

 that it took place gradually. Examination of the clays showed 

 a quick passage from marine to estuarine conditions. He agreed 

 with his Grace that the last upheaval was probably at a recent 

 period, but it must be remembered that the highest beds of 

 fossils of the series consisted of t^lacial forms. He asked atten- 

 tion to the great general order of the succession of beds. 



Prof. W. C, Williamson, as a student of the Midland drifts, 

 was surprised at the apparent agreement among the Scotch 

 geologists in their non-recognition of Agassiz's ice-sheet. He 

 was not able to acquiesce in their views on two grounds. The 

 question turned upon the meaning of the terms glacietion and ice- 

 stieet, which were terms representing relative magnitudes. The 

 ice-covering of Greenland was practically an ice- sheet, and yet 

 that it must have a coastward motion was shown by the icebergs 

 which continually and through long ages broke away from it 

 without reducing its area. In like manner the Antarctic ice 

 along which the Erebus and Terror sailed for hundreds of miles 

 without break, more than mast high above the water, and seven 

 or eight times that amount below it, must have a similar motion. 

 Again, the condition of the lower till, a true moraine profonde, 

 devoid of all traces of marine life, could not be explained except 

 on the supposition of a sub-glacial origin, a position in which 

 all life was excluded, a condition intelligible on the supposi- 

 tion of formation under a broad ice-sheet. 



Mr. Gwyn Jeffreys and Mr. Pengelly also took part in the dis- 

 cussion. The Duke of Argyll briefly replied, and thanks were 

 accorded to his Grace for his interesting paper. 



SECTION D. 



BIOLOGY.' 



Department of Zoology and Botany . 



Address by Alfred Newton, F.R.S., F.L.S., V.P.Z.S., 

 Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy in 

 THE University of Cambridge, Vice-President. 



Any one in the position of chairman of this Department must 

 feel that his difficulty lies in choosing rather than in seeking a 

 subject whereon to address an audience like that which is before 

 me. This difficulty arises from the astounding abundance of 

 interesting topics which are presented by the studies of botany 

 and zoology — or of the latter alone, I may say, since it would 

 ill become me to attempt the treatment of any which belong to 

 the sister science. But it is of course incumbent upon me to 

 touch upon the chief events of the past year which affect this 

 Department ; and it seems possible that in so doing we may find 

 some considerations naturally proceeding from them to be worthy 

 of your notice during the short time that I shall presume to 

 occupy your attention, and also to present enough general interest 

 to justify my enlarging upon the themes which they inspire. 



These chief events appear to me to be two in number. It is 

 my first and pleasing duty to congratulate the naturalists here 

 assembled on the successful termination of that expedition in 

 which we have all taken so great an interest, as, during its pro- 

 gress, tidings of it have reached us from one distant land after 

 another, and especially (as your mouth-piece) heartily to welcome 

 home all now present who were on board the good ship Chal- 

 lenger in her circumnavigation of the globe. I would that your 

 spokesman on this occasion had been one who was better able 

 to appreciate their labours and enter into details as to the value 

 of their discoveries and researches. Unfortunately I am under 

 the great disadvantage of being so imperfectly acquainted with 

 the mysteries of the ocean, that it is only possible for me to 

 speak in the most general terms of what has been done. I feel 

 sure, however, that, so far as the great secrets of the sea can yet 

 be interpreted and revealed by men, they will be by those who 

 have happily returned to us. Sir Charles Wyville Thomson and 

 his colleagues. There is one of their company we know they 

 have not brought back ; and it is fitting for us to lower the tone 

 of our exultation while we remember the name of von Willemoes- 

 Suhm. With this single sad exception there is, however, nothing, 

 so far as I know, to occasion regret ; and the various memoirs 

 that have been already published by members of the expedition 

 give a foretaste of what we may expect when the whole of its 

 results are made known. I am informed that the rich collections 

 made during the voyage are at present lodged in the University 

 of Edinburgh, and are in process of revision and rough arrange- 

 ment under the superintendence of the Director of the Scientific 

 Staff of the late expedition. They include the products of 

 dredging or trawling and surface-collecting at about 350 stations, 

 and at depths varying from 100 to 4,500 fathoms, and consist of 

 a prodigious number of specimens belonging to most of the 

 groups of marine Invertebrata, especially of Sponges and Echino- 

 derms, which preponderate at the greatest depths. It is, I 

 believe, intended to obtain the assistance of special experts in 

 working out the different groups ; and I am sure this meeting 

 will hear with pleasure that the Hydrozoa are to be intrusted to 

 Prof. Allman, and the Polyzoa to Mr. Busk. It is understood 

 that Her Majesty's Treasury will charge itself with the cost of 

 publishing the treatises of these and the other eminent naturalists 

 to be employed ; and thus it is hoped that a series of volumes 

 will be produced worthy of the magnitude of the subject, and fit 

 for the first rank among the works of zoologists in this or any 

 other country. I n.ed scarcely add that the wishes of all here 

 will be for the due carrying out of this grand scheme ; and, re- 

 membering how often similar ambitious undertakings by our 

 scientific men in combination with our Government have been 

 baulked by untoward circumstances, we cannot but express the 

 sincere hope that former failures will serve as useful warnings to 

 ensure future success. I regret extremely my inabUity to say 

 more on this subject. 



I trust you will not think me to underrate the importance 

 of the safe and prosperous return of the Challenger from her 

 voyage, when, though naming it first, I ascribe to it the second 

 place in the events of the past year as regards the progress of 

 zoological investigation. Other scientific expeditions have before 

 now left these shores and the shores of other countries, and have 

 more or less fully attained their purpose while other expeditions 

 will doubtless in due time be organised and carried out with, we 



