Wynne — Presidential Address. 291 



The rapid development of geological knowledge, both practical 

 and theoretical, in modern days, would render an attempt to 

 review even the most recent stages of progress a labour demanding 

 the entire time and thought of a calm and extensive leisure, toge- 

 ther with the possession of peculiar qualifications. Hence I refrain 

 from what is out of reach, and as an additional reason for avoiding 

 the discussion of geologically allied subjects, I may mention that 

 I have been a follower of the rugged, yet varied and most interest- 

 ing, paths pursued by Field Geologists applying where they can 

 the information to be gleaned from the work of their brethren in 

 the laboratory or the study — but chiefly engaged in tracing out 

 amongst the rocks themselves those records of structural geology 

 which become at once the object and the test of all true deductions 

 connected with the historical aspect of the science. 



To Field Geologists have come within these later years strange 

 revelations in more than one direction, closely linked with their 

 pursuits, and of surpassing interest. To some of these I would 

 briefly ask your attention now, leaving the deeper study of prob- 

 lems still undergoing investigation to abler hands. 



The marvellous display of former mechanical earth-movements 

 of thrusting and shearing, which has afforded a key to the latest 

 interpretation's of the geology of the Highlands, is the issue of 

 extensive researches on the part of Nichol and the older Scotch 

 geologists, followed by Lapworth, Judd, Bonney, and others, and 

 further continued by the Geological Survey; its officers being still 

 engaged in the task of reducing the complexities of that very 

 intricate region to intelligible order. In another direction we may 

 notice the attention lately devoted to the subject of wide-spreading 

 Palaeozoic glaciation, as evidenced by the details advanced in sup- 

 port of an ancient Carboniferous to a Permian glacial period, and 

 both may be regarded as among the most prominent geological 

 questions of the day. 



You are aware that a warmly- waged controversy as to the ages 

 and abnormal positions of certain formations in the Scottish High- 

 lands held the field for years, but now, after a considerable lapse 

 of time, the conclusions arrived at by distinguished observers have 

 been found seriously affected, and in part or entirely set aside, by 

 the discovery that this complicated district abounds in evidence of 

 enormous transplacements, whereby whole masses of the rocky 



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