Obituary — The Rev. Maxwell Close. 575 



liis paper of 1876. Dr. Sorby, no doubt, showed that certain fluids 

 are caught up during the consolidation of crystals, and I have con- 

 firmed that observation over and over again ; but that established 

 fact does not preclude the possibility of the same crystal being 

 subsequently cracked, and a new, and perhaps an entirely different, 

 set of fluids being introduced ; and that possibly more than oace. 



General McMahon, in his reply, furnishes an example of the very 

 statements which have so perplexed me ; e.g., " The potential 

 energy of water held in a fluid state by pressure must have been 

 great." This was at above red heat. A few lines later we read, 

 " I thought experts would understand that I had water in a gaseous 

 state in my mind " (italics mine). 



If, as General McMahon points out, Dr. Sorby proved certain 

 inclusions to contain water, or rather salts dissolved in water, his 

 more triumphant diagnosis was liquid carbonic acid ; as he has him- 

 self observed — " people would scarcely believe that there were such 

 things as fluid cavities in granite, and no one had imagined such 

 a thing as liquid carbonic acid." If anyone convicts me of dissenting 

 from Dr. Sorby's opinion on any subject on which he has all the 

 known facts before him, I will say with the opossum, " Don't shoot. 

 Colonel, I will come down." 



I really am very sorry that my recent papers should have vexed 

 either Professor Bonney or General McMahon. The untoward 

 result was quite unforeseen, and shall not occur again, 



A. E. Hunt. 

 Torquay, Novemler 5, 1903. 



OBITTJJ^I^"^. 



THE REV. MAXWELL HENRY CLOSE, M.A., 



MEMB. R. I. ACAD., K.D.S., K.G.S.I., F.G.S. 



Born 1822. Died September, 1903. 



We regret to announce the death of the Kev. Maxwell Henry 

 Close, Treasurer of the Eoyal Irish Academy, at his residence, 

 38, Lower Baggot Street, Dublin. Mr. Close, who had attained' the 

 venerable age of 81 years, was, up till a very short time since, daily 

 to be seen at the Academy's house in Dawson Street. With the 

 passing of Mr. Close a familiar figure in Dublin life has dis- 

 appeared, greatly to the regret of a large circle, who knew and 

 esteemed him for his scholarly attainments and genial personality. 

 The son of the late Mr. Henry S. Close, Newtown Park, county 

 Dublin, Mr. Maxwell Close was born in 1822. At a comparatively 

 early age he entered Dublin University, where he graduated in 1846. 

 He received the Divinity Testimonium, and in 1847 the degree of 

 Master of Arts. In 1847 he took holy orders, becoming a priest the 

 following year, and went to reside in England as curate of All Saints, 

 Northampton, until 1849, when he was inducted Rector of Shangton, 

 Leicestershire. He resigned this position eight years later, and 



