194 



RESEARCH 



where more than one branch is interested. Geology 

 has profited much by this annual concourse of scien- 

 tific men. The Association week is an occasion when 

 the " brethren of the hammer " assemble from all 

 corners of the three kingdoms, and often this is the 

 only time in the whole year when some of them can 

 meet each other. As travelling facilities have year 

 by year increased, geologists have come in greater 

 number from other lands. The Dominions, the 

 United States, and many foreign countries have sent 

 their geological delegates to the meetings, and many 

 lasting friendships have thus been begun or cemented 

 more closely. Every elderly geologist in Britain 

 must look back upon these incidents as among the 

 pleasantest reminiscences of his attendance at the 

 meetings of the Association.' 



A few examples of geological researches in which 

 the Association has taken part in later years may 

 be cited. The work of establishing the existence of 

 definite life-zones in the Carboniferous limestone, and 

 the mapping of them, made possible in some detail 

 the understanding of the physical geography of the 

 British area during the period. These researches 

 demonstrated the gradual advance of the Carboni- 

 ferous sea from south to north and the existence 

 of islands, promontories, and lagoons containing 

 specialised flora and fauna. The investigation of 

 coral reefs contributed to the much-debated ques- 

 tion of the structure of atolls, and added to knowledge 

 of the nature and distribution of plant and animal 

 life in their vicinity. The study of the distribution 

 of erratic blocks, assisted by information furnished 

 by a large body of amateur and professional inquirers, 

 pointed the way to new views concerning the condi- 



