CIV. PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. 



do\\n of rich veins. ]\Iuch has lately been written in the attempt 

 to show the origin of the Kimberley diamonds, which occur in 

 vertical volcanic pipes with dykes radiating from them and 

 associated with numerous other minerals, with granite at a con- 

 siderable depth ; but there appears to be much variety of opinion 

 on the subject. The CuUinan diamond, by far the largest yet 

 found, weighing 1.371b., which was not cut up for sale purposes, 

 as at one time reported, has very suitably been presented to the 

 King, and though it will when cut be considerably reduced in 

 size, it will, let us hope, be much enhanced in brilliancy. The 

 recent Geological Survey publication on the Land's End district 

 by our Hon. Member, Mr. Clement Reid, F.R.S., contains much 

 information about mines as well as the geology generally. The 

 minerals occur chiefly in the belts of rocks altered by contact 

 with the granite, when it was first thrust up through them in a 

 molten condition. Another of our Hon. Members, Mr. Jukes- 

 Browne, has lately written a small book on " The Hills and 

 Valleys of Torquay," which would interest any geologist or even 

 excursionist visiting that neighbourhood. Those who wish 

 for information on the soils of Dorset should obtain Dr. 

 Luxmore's final report on the analysis of 100 soils from the 

 county. The soils have been taken from typical localities situated 

 on all the formations, from the Bagshot sands to the Lower Lias. 

 Besides the analysis the report contains also other information on 

 the subject. It is issued by the University College of Reading. 

 Belemnites being known to us only as fossils, I must place here, 

 and not under zoology, the recent theories propounded about 

 their life history and that of their allies. It had always been 

 supposed that a Belemnite shot through the water like a modern 

 cuttle-fish, darkening it with its ink on the approach of an 

 enemy. The new hypothesis is that the pointed rostrum acted 

 like a pile to fix the animal in the ground, for which its weight 

 and solidity would be well fitted. It is also suggested that 

 Orihoceras, a less popularly known fossil member of the 

 cephalopoda, was even more permanently fixed to one spot than 

 the Belemnites. This theory is " made in Germany," and has 



