566 



NA TURE 



[October 3, 1901 



mention a mineralogical paper by Dr. J. S. Flett, read at an earlier 

 session, on crystals dredged from the Clyde near Helensburgh, 

 which are believed to be pseudomorphs after celestine. 



In a paper on the source of the alluvial gold of the Kildonan 

 field, Sutherland, Mr. J. Malcolm Maclaren, as the result of a 

 recent investigation, concludes that the gold has been derived 

 from the white quartz veins of the local schists, whence it has 

 been distributed into the glacial drift and finally concentrated 

 mechanically in the present stream-courses. In a second paper 

 Mr. Maclaren dealt with the influence of organic matter on the 

 deposition of gold in veins, from personal observation on the 

 reefs of the Sympic and Croydon goldfields of Queensland and 

 of the Ballarat field of Victoria, giving illustrations of the en- 

 richment of the veins at the contact with carbonaceous or 

 graphitic rocks, and suggesting the possibility of precipitation by 

 carbonaceous matter, in accordance with the opinion once 

 generally held, but latterly much discredited. 



Mr. E. II. Cunningham Craig described the mode of occur- 

 rence of cairngorms, the search for which was formerly a 

 profitable Scottish industry, but has now been practically 

 abandoned. These idiomorphic quartz-crystals occur in the 

 drusy central zones of veins of fine-grained granite traversing the 

 normal coarser and less acid granites. 



Prof. Joly's computations of the age of the earth from the 

 amount of salt in the sea were incidentally criticised by Mr. W. 

 Ackroyd in a paper on the circulation of salt and its geological 

 bearings. It was shown by Mr. Ackroyd that for the Millstone 

 Grit and limestone districts of Yorkshire, as well as for a belt of 

 the American coast some 200 miles broad, fully 99 per cent, of 

 the salt carried by the rivers was cyclic sea-salt which had been 

 atmospherically transported and carried down by rain, while 

 Prof. Joly allows only 10 per cent, as the proportion thus derived 

 in our rivers. Reference was made to estimates by the author 

 that during 1900-1901 the deposition of salt derived from the 

 sea amounted to I72'3 lbs. per acre per year on the Pennine 

 Hills at over 1000 feet above sea-level. 



At the same session Mr. W. H. Wheeler discussed the sources 

 of the warp in the liumber, urging that the material was 

 brought down by the rivers flowing into the Humber, and not 

 by the inflowing tide from the w.aste of the Holderness coast 

 as has been authoritatively stated. Two papers by Mr. J. 

 Rhodes were also read, describing the discovery of phosphatic 

 nodules and phosphate-bearing rock in the Upper Carboniferous 

 Limestone series on the Yorkshire and Westmorland border, 

 and of a silicified plant seam in the same locality. 



There still remained a list of ten papers and reports to be 

 taken at the final meeting on Wednesday, the majority being 

 papers dealing with foreign geology. Dr. A. Smith Woodward 

 sent an account of his recent investigations of the famous bone- 

 beds of Pikermi, Attica, where in re-working the old locality 

 he obtained fragmentary evidence of a gigantic tortoise at least 

 as large as the largest hitherto found in Europe, and in a new 

 locality, at Achmet Aga in North Eubcea, sixty miles distant 

 from the former, he found a similar bone-bed, probably formed 

 in like manner by torrential floods carrying down their debris 

 into lakes. 



Mr. H. J. L. Beadnell, of the Geological Survey of Egypt, 

 also sent an account of the discovery of bone-beds of early 

 Tertiary age in the Fayum depression, which have yielded many 

 new mammalian and reptilian remains now being worked out by 

 Dr. C. W, Andrews, of the British Museum, who visited the 

 locality with Mr. Beadnell. 



Prof. E. Hull, in continuance of his researches on submarine 

 physiography, discussed the physical history of the Norwegian 

 fjords. These he believes to be essentially river-valleys, of 

 which the lower portions, probably once deep gorges traversing 

 what is now the open sea-floor, are entirely filled with drift, and 

 thus obliterated. 



The origin of the gravel flats of Surrey and Berkshire was 

 discussed by Mr. H. W. Monckton, who concludes that these 

 deposits were river-gravels formed since the country last rose 

 above the sea, during periods of repose in the process of eleva- 

 tion, which was differential in its effects. 



As usual, much of the best work brought before the Section 

 was embodied in the Reports of Committees of Research, for 

 which, unfortunately, we have barely space for mention. The 

 report of the Geological Photographs Committee, by Prof, 

 W. W. Watts, and that on Erratic Blocks, by Prof P. F. 

 Kendall, showed the same substantial progress which these 

 vigorous committees customarily present. The report on 



Carboniferous Life-zones, by Dr. Wheelton Hind, and that on 

 the Underground Waters of N.W, Yorkshire, by Captain A. R. 

 Dwerryhouse, though hampered by unforeseen local difficulties 

 in the latter case, also showed solid progress ; while that on the 

 Exploration of Irish Caves gave a preliminary account of the 

 good results attained by the first year's working at Kei^h, co. 

 Sligo ; and that on the Structure of Crystals (drawn up by Mr. 

 W. Barlow and Prof. H. A. Miers, assisted by Mr. G. F. 

 Herbert Smith) forms an invaluable contribution to the history 

 of crystallographic research. 



As usual there were afternoon excursions during the meeting 

 to places of geological interest within easy reach of Glasgow, 

 besides the whole-day excursions to Girvan, Arran, Loch 

 Lomond and The Trossachs on Saturday. The attendance at 

 the sectional meetings throughout was quite up to the average 

 of recent years, and general satisfaction was expressed with the 

 character of the proceedings of Section C at Glasgow. 



NO. 1666, VOL. 64] 



ZOOLOGY OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.^ 



ATrE have stood in retrospect at the close of the nineteenth 

 ^ ' century and marvelled at w-hat it brought forth. Here at 

 the threshold of the twentieth century it is natural that we should 

 wonder what it will unfold. Will the changes be as great and 

 in what direction will advance chiefly be made? I am the more 

 content to consider such questions for three reasons : first, be- 

 cause we can use history to formulate predictions ; second, be- 

 cause the attempt may possibly influence to some slight degree 

 the future development of zoology ; and third, because the at- 

 tempt is tolerably safe .since we shall none of us know all that 

 the century will bring forth. 



Comparing the beginning of the twentieth century with that 

 of the nineteenth we find the most striking advances to have 

 taken place in our morphological knowledge. The nineteenth 

 may, indeed, be designated the morphological century. The 

 demands of systematic zoology first made anatomical studies 

 necessary. Later, comparison came to be accepted as the funda- 

 mental zoological method, land comparative anatomy, emancipated 

 from its servitude to systematic zoology, became an independent 

 science, .Still later embryology arose, at first as a descriptive 

 science and then as a comparative one. Out of embryology 

 arose modern cytology, which in turn is creating a comparative 

 histology. Partly as a result of studying embryology as a 

 process has arisen the modern tendency toward comparative 

 physiology. As a result of the general acceptance of the evolu- 

 tion doctrine the study of the geographical distribution of or- 

 ganisms and of adaptations has gained a new meaning. From 

 the great matrix of "general biology" there have begun to 

 crystallise out a number of well-defined subsciences. 



Looking broadly at the progress made during the past century 

 we see that zoology has become immensely more complex due 

 to its developing in many lines, and that the new lines are 

 largely interpolated between the old and serve to connect them. 

 The descriptive method has developed into a higher type — the 

 comparative ; and of late years still a new method has been 

 introduced for the study of processes — the experimental. The 

 search for mechanisms and causes has been added to the search 

 for the more evident phenomena. The zoologist is no longer 

 content to collect data ; he must interpret them. 



In view of the past history of our science what can we say of 

 its probable future? We may be sure that zoology will develop 

 in all these three directions: (i) The continued study of old 

 subjects by old methods ; (2) the introduction of new methods 

 of studying old subjects ; and (3) the development of new 

 subjects. 



I am not of those who would belittle the old subjects, even 

 when pursued in the old way. There is only one class of 

 zoologist that I would wish to blot out, and that is the class 

 whose reckless naming of new "species" and "varieties" 

 serves only to extend the work and the tables of the conscien- 

 tious synonymy hunter. Other than this all classes will con- 

 tribute to the advancement of the science. No doubt there are 

 unlabled species and no doubt they must, as things are, be 

 named. And no doubt genera and families must be " revised" 

 and some groups split up and others lumped. So welcome to 

 the old-fashioned systematist, though his day be short, and may 



1 Address delivered before the Section of Zoology of the American Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science, at Denver, by Prof. C. B. Daven- 

 port, president of the Section 



