496 
NATURE 
[SEPTEMBER 21, 1899 
The following is a synopsis of the grants of money 
made for scientific purposes by the general committee, 
at the meeting just concluded :— 
Mathematics. 
& 
*Rayleigh, Lord—Electrical Standards (£300 in hand) . 25 
*Judd, Prof. J. W.—Seismological Observations (£9 55. 4d. 
in hand) ... 60 
*FitzGerald, Prof. Gin. —Radiation in a “Magnetic Field 25 
*Riicker, Prof. A. W. —Magnetic Force on board Ship . 10 
*Callendar, Prof. H. L.—Meteorological Observatory, 
Montreal ... 20 
*Kelvin, Lord— Tables of Mathematical Functions re 7/5) 
Chemistry. 
*Hartley, Prof. W. N.—Relation between gee 
Spectra and Constitution of Organic Bodies ... 30 
*Roscoe, Sir H. E.—Wave-length Tables ates pecs 5 
*Reynolds, Prof. J. E.— Electrolytic (uantitative 
Analysis 5 
Miers, Prof. H. A. —Isomorphous ‘Sulphonic Derivatives 
of Benzene Be ey 20 
Neville, Mr. F. H. —The Nature of Alloys 305 #31) 30. 
Geology. 
*Hull, Prof. E.—Erratic Blocks (46 in hand) : a 
*Geikie, Prof. J.—Photographs of Geological Interest ... 10 
*Dawkins, Prof. W. B.—Remains of Elk in the Isle of 
Man 5 
*Dawson, Sir ip Wee Pleistocene! “Fauna “and lors in 
Canada ... 10 
*Lloyd-Morgan, Prof. C.—Ossiferous Caves at Uphill 
(£8 in hand) a 10 
Watts, Prof. W. W.—Movements of "Underground 
Waters of Craven.. asi u.) 40 
Scharff, Dr. —Exploration of Irish Caves... bce aoe BD) 
Zoology. 
*Herdman, Prof. W. A.—Table at the Zoological Station, 
Naples... 100 
*Bourne, Mr. G. C.—Table at the Biological Laboratory, 
Plymouth ... 20 
*Woodward, Dr. H.—Index Generum et Specierum 
Animalium.. 550 op > SID 
*Newton, Prof. —Migration of Birds : 15 
Lankester, Prof. E. Ray.—Plankton and Physical Condi- 
tions of the English Channel... tA) 
*Newton, Prof.—Zoology of the Sandwich Islands sae LOO 
Sedgwick, Mr. A.—Coral Reefs of the Indian Region... 30 
Geography. 
Murray, pu Johns hace and Chemical Constants of 
Sea Water ee : oa 088 LOO, 
Economic Sctence and Statistics. 
Price, Mr. L. L.—Future Dealings in Raw Produce... 5 
Sedgwick, Prof. H.—State Monopolies in other Countries 
(413 13s. 6d. in hand) ... ds Bae oo a8 
Mechanical Science. 
*Preece, Sir W. H.—Small Screw eas (£17 Is. 2d, 
in hand) 
Anthropology 
*Evans, Mr. A. J.—Silchester Excavation ‘ 10 
*Penhallow, Prof. D. P.—Ethnological Survey of. Canada 50 
*Tylor, Prof. E. B.—New Edition of ‘* Anthropological 
Notes and Queries” 40 
*Garson, Dr. ie G.—Age of Stone Circles (balance in 
hand) ‘ a Bo 
*Read, Mr. C. H.—Photographs - of Anthropological 
Interest .. 10 
*Brabrook, Mr. E. W.—Mental and Physical Condition of 
Children ond 5 
Read, Mr. C. H. —Ethnography of the Malay Peninsula 25 
* Re-appointed. 
NO. 1560, VOL. 60] 
Physiology. 
*Schiafer, Prof. E. A.—Physiological Effects of Peptone... 20 
Schafer, Prof. E. A.—Comparative Histology of Supra- 
renal Capsules... 20 
*Gotch, Prof. F.— —Comparative Histology of "Cerebral 
Cortex 20 5 
Gotch, Prof. F.—Electrical Changes in Mammalian 
Nerves Fag) 209 
Starling, Dr. —Vascular Supply of Secreting Glands ... 10 
Botany. 
*Darwin, Mr. F.—Assimilation in Plants (£6 6s. Sd. in 
hand) 
*Farmer, Prof. ne B.—Fertilisation in n Pheeophyceze Big SY 
Corresponding Socteties. 
*Meldola, Prot. R.—Preparation of Report... ace Peay» Zs) 
AINS 
SECTION C. 
GEOLOGY. 
OPENING ADDRESS BY SIR ARCHIBALD GEIKIE, D.C.L., 
D.Sc., F.R.S., PRESIDENT OF THE SECTION. 
AMONG the many questions of great theoretical importance 
which have engaged the attention of geologists, none has in 
late years awakened more interest or aroused livelier controversy 
than that which deals with time as an element in geological 
history. The various schools which have successively arisen— 
Cataclysmal, Uniformitarian, and Evolutionist—have had each 
its own views as to the duration of their chronology, as well as 
to the operations of terrestrial energy. But though holding 
different opinions, they did not make these differences matter of 
special controversy among themselves. About thirty years ago, 
however, they were startled by a bold irruption into their camp 
from the side of physics. They were then called on to re- 
form their ways, which were declared to be flatly opposed to 
the teachings of natural philosophy. Since that period the 
discussion then started regarding the age of the earth and 
the value of geological time has continued with varying 
animation. Evidence of the most multifarious kind has been 
brought forward, and arguments of widely different degrees of 
validity have been pressed into service both by geologists and 
palzontologists on one side, and by physicists on the other. 
For the last year or two there has been a pause in the con- 
troversy, though no general agreement has been arrived at in 
regard to the matters in dispute. The present interval of 
comparative quietude seems favourable for a dispassionate 
review of the debate. I propose, therefore, to take, as perhaps 
a not inappropriate subject on which to address geologists 
upon a somewhat international occasion like this present meeting 
of the British Association at Dover, the question of Geological 
Time. In offering a brief history of the discussion, I gladly 
avail myself of the opportunity of enforcing one of the lessons 
which the discussion has impressed upon my own mind, and to 
point a moral which, as it seems to me, we geologists may take 
home to ourselves from a consideration of the whole question. 
There is, I think, a practical outcome which may be made to 
issue from the controversy in a combination of sympathy and 
co-operation among geologists all over the world. A lasting 
service will be rendered to our science if by well-concerted 
effort we can place geological dynamics and geological chronology 
on a broader and firmer basis of actual experiment and 
measurement than has yet been laid. 
To understand aright the origin and progress of the dispute 
regarding the value of time in geological speculation, we must 
take note of the attitude maintained towards this subject by 
some of the early fathers of the science. Among these pioneers 
none has left his mark more deeply graven on the foundations 
of modern geology than James Hutton. To him, more than to 
any other writer of his day, do we owe the doctrine of the 
high antiquity of our globe. No one before him had ever seen 
so clearly the abundant and impressive proofs of this remote 
antiquity recorded in the rocks of the earth’s crust. In these 
rocks he traced the operation of the same slow and quiet 
processes which he observed to be at work at present in 
* Re-appointed. 
ee 
es 
