x 
544 
by Mr. Balfour having been so far generously given without any 
adequate academical recognition, the benefit of its continuance 
is at present entirely unsecured to the University, and the pro- 
gress of the department under his direction remains liable to 
sudden check.” 
It is recommended that a Professorship of Animal Mythology 
shall be established, terminable with the tenure of the first 
Professor ; the stipend to be 300/. a year; the Professor to be 
appointed by vote of members of the Senate on the Electoral 
Roll. The duty of the Professor is defined as ‘‘to teach and 
illustrate the principles of the structure and development of 
animals, to apply himself to the advancement of the knowledge 
of those subjects, and to promote their study in the University.” 
The Grace will be proposed on May 11. 
From the reports of the natural science examiners in the last 
Local Examinations, we learn that the Junior Chemistry paper 
was very feebly answered, many being unable to explain the 
difference between a chemical compound and a mechanical mix- 
ture; but the practical work was satisfactorily done. The 
senior boys did well in chemistry, though the girls did badly. In 
heat, there were many failures among the Juniors, with great 
want of exactness in the definition of important terms: the 
majority failed to do a very simple calculation concerning the 
expansion of a solid; the Seniors did better. In Statics and 
Hydrostatics the papers of the Juniors were unsatisfactory ; the 
answers to one numerical question were mostly confused masses 
of figures without a single word to serve as a clue to the laby- 
rinth. The Seniors also receive a bad report ; the questions in- 
volving accurate definition were not either attempted or were 
poorly done. In Botany the Junior papers were moderately 
good ; there was, however, a tendency to the indiscriminate use 
of technical terms without a due regard to their meaning. The 
Seniors in many cases showed complete ignorance of some of the 
most elementary facts; the description of specimens was espe- 
cially bad. In zoology both Juniors and Seniors did fairly well ; 
still there was a general absence of diagrams, and little evidence 
of practical work. One valuable remark of the examiner is that 
young scholars should not be informed of the erroneous ideas of 
the older naturalists, even though the errors are pointed out, as 
unnecessary trouble is thereby given, and confusion is likely to 
be caused. In Physical Geography, good papers weresent up ; 
but in Geology the majority were altogether unsatisfactory, 
The examination for a vacant Sheepshanks Astronomical Ex- 
hibition will be held in Lecture Rcom No. 7, at Trinity College, 
on Monday, April 24. 
The Demonstrator of Comparative Anatomy will take an 
advanced class for instruction in the Sauropsida next term, 
beginning April 18. 
EDINBURGH.—At the close of his lecture on Friday, 31st ult., 
Prof. Archibald Geikie was presented with an illuminated 
address by past and present students of the Geology class in the 
University of Edinburgh. Mr. John Murray, of the Challenger 
Expedition, presented the address, which was as follows :— 
‘* Sir,—We, your present and former students in the University 
of Edinburgh, beg to pay you the tribute of a brief farewell. 
While rejoicing in the honour conferred on you by your appoint- 
ment as Director-General of the Geological Survey of Great 
Britain and Ireland, we would record, along with the expression 
of our most hearty congratulations, our deep sense of the loss 
which both we and our 4/ma Mater will sustain by your de- 
parture. To the distinguished services you have rendered the 
science in which you haye taught us to share your interest and 
enthusiasm, we willdo no more than refer; though we cannot 
fail to remember with pride how signally you have maintained 
the reputation of the Scottish School of Geology, and of Edin- 
burgh, its metropolitan seat. We would here simply recall the 
many happy hours we have spent with you, both in the geologi- 
cal class-room and in the field, and express, for ourselves and 
for others now scattered over the world, the feelings of gratitude 
and affection with which your name will ever be regarded. We 
are, sir, with much respect and affection.” 
Having read the address, the sentiments of which were warmly 
applauded, Mr. Murray said that Prof. Geikie would find in it 
the names of about 140 students, and they expected that a 
number more would yet be added. They did not intend the 
address to express all the deep feelings they had towards Pro- 
fessor Geikie, nor did they attempt to say all ‘that one should 
wish about the admiration in which they held Prof. Geikie as a 
scientific man and as a teacher. Upon the face of the address 
were some sketches by one of his present pupils, which might 
NATURE 
™ - wr - 
[April 6, 188 
serve to remind him of the instruments with which they had 
fought, and of some of the battle-fields upon which they had 
been employed together—engaged in a fight in which the students 
knew Prof. Geikie had been a most excellent general for them. 
After mentioning that a casket for the address would be pre- 
sented at a social gathering to be held in a few weeks thence, 
Mr. Murray, in name of the past and present pupils of the class, 
wished the Professor health, strength, success, and distinction in 
the new sphere of work to which he had been transferred. Prof, 
Geikie, who was warmly applauded, said there were moments in 
a man’s life when the depth of his emotion was best expr 
by silence. Therefore he made no attempt to tell the students 
how much their kindly feelings always, and this especially 
hearty -outburst, had touched every fibre of his heart, At the 
close of every session he had been accustomed to look forward 
to the final day with great depression of spirits. It had always 
been to him a sad thing to say ‘‘ good-bye” to the you 
men with whom he had been brought into such close ponuitel 
contact during the winter ; but this was to be his last adieu to 
them, and he could hardly trust himself to shape into words the 
feeling of genuine sorrow with which he left that class-room. 
Eleven years ago he began the work of that class, The Chair of 
Geology in the University was founded by the munificence of 
Sir Roderick Murchison, who was struck down by illness before 
the arrangements for the foundation were completed, and he 
believed it was largely due to the present Parliamentary repre 
sentative of the University, Dr. Lyon Playfair, that these arrange- 
ments were finally carried out. As the students had said in the” 
address, his aspirations had been very strong towards reviving, 
as far as in him lay, the fame of the Scottish School of Geology. 
No one could be more sensible than he was, of how far he had 
fallen short of the aspirations with which he began his work. 
But although he did not for a moment attempt to justify 
his failures, he should try to show them how difficult — 
his task had sometimes been. When he entered on his 
duties, there was not one diagram or specimen belonging to this — 
class. He had to obtain diagrams from all sources, and te make — 
many of them himself, there being no great endowment for the — 
support of the Chair. One part of his work during the eleven 
years had been to gather together materials for a class-museum. — 
These he had succeeded in obtaining, partly through purchase, — 
and partly through the kindness of friendly benefactors to the 
University. This collection, which would be of the greatest — 
value in the future work of the Chair, was at present in great 
part stowed away in boxes, for want of space to display it. He 
had much satisfaction in leaving it as a legacy to his successor, 
Having referred to the difficulties which had attended the con- 
ducting of the class, arising from the deficiency of accommo- 
dation, two, and sometimes thre> professors using the same 
class-room, the Professor said this Chair was the first started 
in Scotland for the special cultivation of geology and mine- 
ralogy. He believed he was the first in Scotland, if 
not in Britain, to organise a practical class for the study of — 
mineralogy and the microscopic investigation of rocks. Owing 
to the transference of the medical classes to the new University 
Buildings, his successor would have a series of class-rooms, with 
laboratory and museum attached, and he had no doubt a great 
future was in store for the prosecution of geology in the Uni- 
versity of Edinburgh. He had tried always to make the cultiva- 
tion of field-geology a prominent part of the work of the class ; 
and some of their pleasantest associations bad been among the 
glens of the Highlands and the hills and shores of the lowlands. 
In concluding, Prof. Geikie thanked the students very heartily 
for their kindness in the past, and for this crowning mark of 
their regard. Though his voice would no longer be heard within 
these walls, his interest in the students remained as sincere and 
as hearty as ever it was. They knew him well enough to be 
assured that his students had been, and always would be, to him 
personal friends. ‘‘ And now, gentlemen,” he concluded, “long 
live our dear old A/ma Mater, ani God bless you all.” 
THE following is the award of the Public Schools’ Prize 
Medals of the Geographical Society for 1882 :—Physical Geo- 
graphy (Examiner Prof. H. N. Moseley, M.A., F.R.S.): Gold 
Medal, Hubert Llewellyn Smith, Bristol Grammar School ; 
Silver Medal, Albert Richard Sharp, Dulwich College. Honour- 
ably mentioned: Andrew Claude Crommelin, Marlborough 
College; Montague Edward Fordham, London International 
College; Samuel William Carruthers, Dulwich College ; Albert 
Lewis Humphries, Liverpool College. Political Geography 
(Examiner, Sir Arthur Blyth, K.C.M.G., Agent-General for 
