ORDINARY MEETING.* 
Watter Kipp, Esqa., M.D., F.L.S., IN THE CHAIR. 
The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed, and the 
following paper was read by the Author :— 
QUESTIONS INVOLVED IN EVOLUTION FROM 
A GEOLOGICAL POINT OF VIEW. By Rev. 
G. F. Wuipporne, M.A., F.G.S. 
CONTENTS. 
. Evolution (as referring to life) not yet beyond discussion. 
. The evolution of artificial varieties does not entail that of the 
whole of life. 
3. Meanings of the term: (1) an abstract idea ; (2) the life-history 
of portions (“partial”); or (3) of the whole (“extreme”) of 
animated nature. 
4. Extreme Evolution, perplexing on the scientific rather than the 
religious side. 
5. Difficulties to its action (considered apart from its cause). 
(1) Any reasoning on it which assumes the present state of 
nature inconclusive. 
(2) The existence of set species— 
(a) in present nature. 
(8) in geologic ages, 
(3) The stability of certain forms. 
(4) The increasing size of the faunas discovered in the older 
rocks. 
(5) The age (ab cnitio) of these faunas being measurable by 
their most aberrant forms. 
(6) The diffusion in time of related forms. 
(7) The high relative position of many of the earliest appear- 
ances. 
ho 
* January 21st, 1901. 
