Reports and Proceedings — Geological Societi/ of London. 183 



Since then, notwithstanding his numerous public avocations, his important husiness 

 occupations, and his researches in natural history, both entomological and botanical, 

 he has always retained a lasting attachment to geology. He has evinced this, not 

 only in keeping abreast with its progress and accompanying its workers in the field, 

 but also in the publication of works on geology, marked by his own literary charm. 

 His recent works on the scenery of Switzerland and of England have done much to 

 create a deep appreciation and sympathy for the science among the thinking and 

 educated public. 



Whether, therefore, from old associations, or from the special nature of his 

 geological researches, or from the fascination of his geological works, the Council 

 of the Geological Society feel that he is a most fitting recipient of the first gold 

 medal struck in accordance with the testamentary dispositions of our venerable Fellow, 

 Sir Joseph Prestwich. 



Professor Bonney, in reply, read the following letter which had 

 been forwarded to him by the recipient : — Mr. President, — 



" I should have felt it a great compliment in any case that the Geological Society 

 should have bestowed upon me one of their medals, but I am specially gratified to 

 have received the first of the Medals instituted in honour of my old friend Sir Joseph 

 Prestwich. It is now more than forty years since 1 first visited the valley of the 

 Somme under his guidance and that of M. Boucher de Perthes. Since then I have 

 had the advantage of making many most instructive excursions with him. On those 

 occasions we were out early and late. Meals constantly gave way to gravel-pits. 

 On one occasion I spent a week with him in Paris — at least, if we can be said to 

 have been in Paris, when I think that we were never there between 7 o'clock in the 

 morning and 8 in the evening ; and I look back on those expeditions with the greatest 

 interest. I shall value the Medal extremely, both as a mark of the approval of the 

 Council, and also in memory of one whom I esteemed so higlily, and to whom I owed 

 so much. It is a matter of great regret to me that absence from England has 

 precluded me from attending to receive it personally." 



The President then presented the Balance of the Proceeds of the 

 WoUaston Donation Fund to Mr. L. L. Belinfante, M.Sc, Assistant 

 Secretary of the Geological Society, addressing him as follows : — 

 Mr. Belinfante, — 



At a meeting of Fellows of the Geological Society it is quite unnecessary for me 

 to say anything as to your merits. You stand here among friends and well-wishers, 

 to all of whom you are well known as the capable Assistant Secretary of the Society. 

 But perhaps it is to the Council alone, and more particularly to those who have 

 served as ofiicers, that the full extent of the indebtedness of the Society to you is- 

 known. You combine the offices of Assistant Secretary, Clerk, Librarian, Editor of 

 the Jom-nal, and Curator of the Museum, and each of these ofiices, whether the 

 duties are performed by you personally or under your general supervision, are filled 

 to the great advantage of the Society. Authors of papers owe you a deep debt of 

 gratitude for the help that they have received from you in editing their papers ; 

 indeed, such trust have they in your judgment that they are almost too liable to 

 leave the whole of the burden of seeing their papers through the press in your hands. 



If it were necessary for me to allude to actual geological work done by you, I have 

 only to mention the Index to the first Fifty Volumes of the Quarterly Journal, which 

 was completed by you outside your ofiicial hours, and has proved of immense value to 

 all writers in geology. But in handing you this award of the Wollaston Donation 

 Fund, I trust rather that you will receive it as a mark of appreciation by the 

 Council and Fellows of your able and conscientious services to the Society and to 

 geology as Assistant Secretary and Editor of the Journal, and I can only conclude with 

 the hope that we may have the advantage of your services for many years to come. 



The President, in handing the Balance of the Proceeds of the 

 Murchison Geological Fund, awarded to Mrs. Elizabeth Gray, of 

 Edinburgh, to Dr. Henry Woodward, F.R.S., for transmission to the 

 recipient, addressed him in the following words : — Dr. Woodward, — 



Mrs. Gray has devoted the leism-e hours of nearly half a lifetime to collecting iin 

 the field and arranging in her cabinets the fossils of the Ordovician and Silurian rock^; 



