11. PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. 



Altliongh there are probably a certain number who either do 

 not approve of the change or doubt its expediency, I hope it 

 may be found that defections from our ranks on this account 

 will be few, and that, among the great body of the members, 

 the careful consideration which has been given to the objects 

 and means of the Society, in consequence of the alterations 

 made, has produced a stirring-up of activity, and an increase of 

 zeal for the purposes of study and mutual help, for which we 

 are associated together. 



An old proverb speaks of the advisability of the cobbler 

 sticking to his last, and therefore I propose to limit my 

 remarks to a sketch of some of the subjects relating to Geology 

 which have given an interest to the past year. Into the details 

 of Stratigraphical Geology I cannot enter, and Palasontology I 

 cannot touch, but must confine myself to points which have a 

 bearing on the Chemical and Microscopic side of the science, 

 as being those with which I am personally more conversant. 



The two great phcnomnut of the year may both be said to 

 be volcanic, and, therefore, suitable for some mention. The 

 calamitous earthquake which desolated the fair island of Ischia 

 last summer reduced, almost instantaneously, a great part of 

 the buildings on it to ruins, burying in them a multitude of the 

 unfortunate inhabitants and visitors, a full enumeration of 

 Avhom is, and probably ever will be, quite unattainable, since in 

 many cases the fallen masonry was too massive to be removed, 

 and remains the tomb of unknown numbers overwhelmed by 

 its ruin. 



Those who attended our opening meeting in January, or 

 who were present at the Conversazione of the Midland Institute, 

 will remember the line series of photographs of the results of 

 the earthquake exhibited by Mr. Johnstone Lavis, and the 

 diagrams which accompanied them showing the theoretical 

 deductions from the observed facts. 



The history of earthquakes, on the whole, points decidedly 

 to what we may call a volcanic origin, tliough here we may 

 seem to be explaining one name by another as little understood. 



