2 The Coming Centenary of 
Director of the Geological Survey of Scotland, however remote his 
field of work might be, his ever-active pen and pencil kept him 
in touch with the world at large. ‘‘The Story of a Boulder,” 
‘‘Gleanings from the Notebook of a Geologist” (1858), his ‘‘ Memoir 
of Edward Forbes” (1861), ‘‘The Scenery of Scotland viewed in 
connection with its Physical Geology” (1865, 3rd edition 1901), and 
many other of his writings’ were read with the keenest enjoyment. 
We published in February, 1890, a portrait of Sir A. Geikie and 
a brief sammary of his work up to that date, just prior to his election 
for the first time as President of the Geological Society. The addresses 
which he gave during the two years that he occupied the chair formed 
the nucleus of perhaps his most important work, published in 1897 
under the title of ‘‘The Ancient Volcanoes of Great Britain,’ two 
volumes, beautifully printed and illustrated. In the same year he 
established the ‘‘Summary of Progress of the Geological Survey,” an 
annual publication which gives an official record of the work done by 
this institution, He prefaced the first number with an account of 
the Origin and History of the Geological Survey and Museum, 
a subject which he had dealt with more personally in 1895 in his 
‘*Memoir of Sir Andrew Crombie Ramsay.”? While still Director- 
General he edited in 1899 a third volume of Hutton’s ‘‘ Theory of the 
Earth,” from the MS. that had long been in the possession of the 
Geological Society. 
In 1892 he was President of the British Association at Edinburgh, 
and in 1899 he was chosen for a second time President of the 
Geological Section at the Dover meeting. In 1900 he published 
an official memoir on ‘‘ The Geology of Central and Western Fife and 
Kinross.”” In the following year he retired from the public service ; 
but, as we intimated (Grot. Maa., February, 1901, p. 96), it was not 
his intention to lay aside either his hammer or his pen. In 1902 he 
brought out another Survey Memoir on “ The Geology of Eastern 
Fife’’; in 1903 he issued a fourth edition, in two volumes, of his 
“‘Text-Book of Geology,” a work of 1,472 somewhat closely printed 
pages. From the severer side of science he turned to ‘‘ Scottish 
Reminiscences,” a volume published in 1904; and in 1905 he issued 
‘Landscape in History and other Essays.” Meanwhile, in 1903, he 
accepted the office of Secretary to the Royal Society in conjunction 
with Dr. Joseph Larmor, a position which might alone have given 
enough work for any man in the days of his retirement. 
Tat the earlier days of the Geological Society, ‘‘the age of the 
demigods,’’ but comparatively little was done by its members to 
interest the outside world. The Society was a very select body, and as 
one of its members observed at the time, the Council was practically 
1 For original articles by Sir A. Geikie and notices of his writings, see the 
GEOL. Mac., 1864, p. 99; 1865, p.. 1255. 1866, pp. 406," saomic am, 
pp. 171, 316, 465; 1868, p. 249; 1869, pp. 32, 129, 187; 1870, pp. 41, 136; 
1871, p. 279; 1874, p. 81; 1878, pp- 49, 128; 1879, p- 278; 1882, p. 322; 
1883, pp- 39, 47, 80, 238 ; 1888, pp: 42, 282 ; 1889, p- 32; 1891, p. 498; 1894, 
p. 188; 1895, p- 132; 1896, pp. 42, 481: 1897, pp. 233, 326, 371, 417; 1898, 
pp- 232, 306, 358; 1899, pp. 321, 452; 1901, p. 81; 1903, p. 278: 1904, pp. 133, 
135; 1906, pp. 145, 193. ; 
