ORDINARY MEETINa* 



D. Howard, Esq., D.L., F.C.S., in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed, and the 

 following Elections were announced : — 



Life Associate : — Ca^jtain F. A. Molony, RE., Nova Scotia. 



Associates : — Eev. C. H. Barlow, India ; Douglas Public Library, Isle of 

 Man ; Rev. A. C. Rowley, Lincolnshire ; Miss M. E. Vaughan, 



United States. 



Hon. Cor. Members : — Rev. R. F. McLeod, Hertfordshire ; R. Scott 

 Moncrieif, Esq., Edinburgh ; — 



Papers entitled " Evolution and Design," by Mr. G. Cox Bompas, and 

 "Archaeology and Evolution," by R. H. Walkey, Esq., having been 

 appointed for consideration ; 



The former was then read by its author : — 



EVOLUTION ANB DESIGN. By G. Cox Bompas, 

 F.G.S., F.R.G.S., &c. 



TWO knights, the legend tells, fought about the colour of 

 a shield, of gold or silver. Each spent his strength to 

 confound the other's belief, and dying, found the shield had 

 two sides, one gold, one silver. So it is with most contro- 

 versy, for truth is one but many-sided, and it is hard to see 

 all sides at once. 



Evolution and Design have perplexed and still puzzle 

 many minds as if opposed to each other. This host of living 

 beings so marvellously fitted to their place in life ; have they, 

 it is asked, and their fitness come by evolution or design ? 

 Inanimate nature suggests like thoughts. But are evolution 

 and design opposed, or two sides of the same truth? 



What is evolution, and how have this new name and notion 

 arisen ? 



Evolution has been defined by one as " a change from an 

 indefinite incoherent homogeneity to a definite coherent 

 heterogeneity through continuous diiferentiations and integra- 

 tions " which another has translated, " a change from a no- 



* 2nd of 28th Session. 



