l!)G ANNUAL MEETING. 



Monday, April 16. — *'The Eeligion of the Assyrians and Babylonians,'' 

 by Theophilus G. Pinches, Esq., of the Brit. Museum. 



The author's researches among other matters showed that Mono- 

 theism, so far from not being known before the time of Abraham 

 (as some leading authors have of late asserted), was proved by the 

 tablets to have been in existence in the third millennium B.C. Sir H. 

 Howorth, K.C.I.E., F.R.S., the Rev. Dr. Lowe, Mr. Rassam, Colonel 

 Conder, and others took part in consideriLg tl)2 subject. 

 Monday, May 7.— "Chinese Ethics and Philosophy," by Surg.-General C. 

 A. Gordon, C.B. Address oh same by Sir T. Wade, G.C.M.G., K.C.B. 

 The object of briuging forward this subject was to throw more 

 light on the laws, domestic life and character of a land, little 

 understood, with a history reaching back to the earliest ages, and 

 possessing moreover a vast population gradually adopting western 

 civilization, likely to be most powerful in the future, but at present 

 needing the right application of good and not evil influences. 

 Monday, June 4. — " Causes of the Ice- Age," by Warren Upham, Esq., 

 Assist. State Geologist, U.S. Government. 



At this meeting was practically concluded the line of research 

 begun in 1892 by Sir W. Dawson, Mr. Mello, and others, with a 

 view of ascertaining how far geological research in America as well 

 as elsewhere pointed to the date of the "Great Ice- Age," suppose<l 

 to be the limit to which the age of man might be referred, and 

 which had been fixed by some at 200,000 years, and even more. On 

 this occasion Professors Pi'estwich, F.R.S., Geikie, F.R.S., T. Rupert 

 Jones, F.R.S.. General Drayson, R.E., Professor Logan Lobley, 

 F.G.S., and otliers took part in the investigation, the first urging 

 that whilst American geological research suggested 10,000 years for 

 the close of the glacial epoch, similar research elsewhere and of a 

 totally ditierent character, seemed not to warrant more than 12,0CO 

 as the utmost time that could be allowed. 

 Mond.vt, July 16. — Annual Meeting, address by Professor Duns, D.D., 

 F.R.S.E., at the Ho\ise of the ^Society of Arts. 



Pa/jlicatioiis. 



The twenty-seventh volume of Transactions is no"\v in 

 course of publication. 



From time to time the Members of the Institute and others 

 have expressed their high sense of the value of the Trans- 

 actions of the Institute, inasmuch as they contained, not tlw 

 opinions of aiiii one permn only, but o/' 9i/rtn/y, resident in various 

 and even distant parts of the world, whose studies had lain 

 in the direction of the subjects taken up. That a system like 

 this carried on by a competent body or Society gives a value 

 to the treatment of the several subjects beyond that which 

 any individual author could give is evident. 



fjectures. 

 Members, at home and abroad, continue 1o use the papei's 

 in the Journal as lectures, or as the basis of sucli. and 



