54 Annals of the Philosophical Club 



On June 2ist, Sir R. Murchison read a letter from M. de 

 Verneuil deprecating the division of the British Museum, 

 and pointing out that much space might be gained by so 

 re-arranging the Natural History collection as to restrict 

 the portion displayed to the public, but to make it more 

 available for their instruction. Professor Huxley remarked 

 that, in giving evidence to a Parliamentary Committee, he 

 had expressed similar views, and that subsequent careful 

 measurements had confirmed his statements, which at the 

 time were founded on general impressions. 



At the meeting on Nov. 22nd, Mr. Lubbock, Mr. Prestwich, 

 and Professor Williamson were elected into the vacancies 

 made by the death of Prof. Baden Powell, and the resignations 

 of Mr. G. Rennie and Mr. E. Solly. 



LORD AVEBURY, better known as SIR JOHN LUBBOCK, was born 

 at High Down, Kent, in November, 1834, and left Eton at a rather 

 early age to enter the bank in which his father was a leading member, 

 succeeding him as fourth baronet in 1865. He was a leader among 

 men of business, wide in his culture, remarkable for his varied 

 activities, combining a grasp of principles with an unflagging care 

 for details. His books on Prehistoric Times and Primitive Culture 

 were very valuable, together with his contributions to certain 

 branches of entomology, and his Scenery of England and Scenery 

 of Switzerland must not be forgotten. His more popular little 

 books, the Pleasures of Life, the Use of Life, the Beauties of Nature, 

 were highly successful. He sat in Parliament from 1870 to 1900, 

 for the last ten years as representative of the University of London. 

 There he concentrated his energies on social and educational 

 questions, Bank Holidays being his popular memorial. He had 

 probably presided over more societies than any other man, received 

 not a few honorary degrees and other distinctions, and in 1900 was 

 created Baron Avebury (taking his title from the noted Wiltshire 

 circle of megaliths). Regretted by all who knew him, he died on 

 May 28th, 1913. 



SIR JOSEPH PRESTWICH, son of a \\ine merchant, but of an old 

 Lancashire family, was born at Clapham near London on March 

 iath, 1812. At the age of eighteen, after two years in Paris to 

 learn French, he entered his father's office, but devoted all his 

 spare time to science, especially geology, soon making bis mark by 

 two excellent papers on the Carboniferous Rocks of Coalbrook 

 Dale, and then devoting himself to working out the Tertiary and 

 Post-Tertiary deposits of southern and eastern England. He was 

 also among the first to investigate the evidence for early prehistoric 





