Obituary— William Topley, F.R. 8., F.G.S. 573 



of singular interest and success. It was organized with the aid 

 of M. Dupont, but the arrangements and direction of the excur- 

 sion fell largely upon the President, Mr. Topley. In the following 

 year, aided by Professor Lebour, the President conducted the 

 Association to many of the scenes of his former labours in 

 Northumberland. On other occasions he led the Members to 

 some of his old haunts in the Wealden area, and to several 

 localities in and around London. 



When the International Geological Congress arranged for a 

 meeting in London in 1888, Mr. Topley (who had attended previous 

 gatherings) was chosen as one of the Secretaries, and then, not 

 only during the meeting, but for a long while before and after- 

 wards, his energies were severely taxed with the many duties 

 he had to perform. One feature of this London meeting was 

 the promptitude with which the printed agenda and reports of 

 proceedings were issued day by day — work that- was only accom- 

 plished by dint of burning much midnight oil. 



In 1885 Mr. Topley had prepared an elaborate Report on the 

 National Geological Surveys of Europe; and he was much in- 

 terested in the question of an international scheme of colouring 

 for geological maps. He had, in 1881, been appointed to super- 

 intend the publication of the British section of the Geological 

 Map of Europe, promised by the International Geological Congress ; 

 and in 1888 (conjointly with Mr. J. G. Goodchild) he prepared 

 the excellent little Geological Map of Europe which accompanies 

 the second volume of Prof. Prestwich's Geology. 



Thus were his services in constant demand. At one time 

 Agricultural Geology occupied a large share of his attention, and 

 he had gathered together much material bearing on the subject, 

 with the view of publishing a work on Soils in their relation to 

 Geology. Several essays dealing with these matters were printed, 

 and perhaps the most important outcome of his studies in the 

 South-east of England was his paper dealing with the connection 

 between the Parish Boundaries and the great physical features 

 which are dependant on the geological structure. The subject was 

 first brought before the Brighton meeting of the British Association 

 in 1872, and it there attracted very considerable attention. The 

 author showed how the ancient divisions of the land were made 

 according to the water-supply, the soil, and situation ; _ portions 

 of down-land being taken to pasture sheep, the productive tracts 

 for agriculture, and portions of forest-land, whether wood or open 

 glade, for swine and as pasture for cattle. 



In later years the subjects of Applied Geology occupied the 

 greater part of Mr. Topley 's leisure hours. He had given a good 

 deal of attention to the mode of occurrence of Phosphates ; he 

 wrote a report on the geological distribution of Gold and Silver ; 

 discussed the schemes for the construction of a Channel Tunnel ; 

 and wrote concerning the discovery of Coal in Kent. 



The subject of Water Supply, however, more than any other 

 engaged his mind, and it was one on which he was recognised 

 as a leading authority. The needs of Hastings, Tunbridge Wells, 



