Geological Society of London. 187 



of these workers tbe generous donor asks to be allowed to give a framed portrait nf 

 Murchison together with a sum of £50. The conditions of the gift circumscribed 

 my choice, but I feel confident that I shall carry the Society with me when I say 

 that there are pre-eminently two Scottish geologists who have worthily followed in 

 Murchison's foot&teps, but with no slavish regard for the opinions of their master, 

 •who are continuing and extending his work, and who by their constant association 

 alike in the field and in descriptive writing deserve to share in this tribute to the 

 memory of their former chief. I need hardly say that I allude to Mr. B. N. Peach 

 and Mr. John Home. 



The President then presented an envelope containing a cheque 

 for £50 to Mr. B. N. Peach, and requested him to convey a similar 

 packet to Mr. J. Home. 



Mr. Peach, in reply, said : — Mr. President, — On behalf of my colleague, Mr. 

 Home, and myself I beg to thank you for your kindness in considering that we have 

 carried on the work of our old chief. Sir Roderick Murchison, in the true spirit, and 

 I beg to request that you will convey our thanks to the unknown donor of this 

 munificent gift. 



The President then proceeded to read his Anniversary Address, 

 in which he first gave Obituary Notices of several Fellows, Foreign 

 Members, and Foreign Correspondents deceased since the last Annual 

 Meeting, including Sir Andrew Ramsay (President in 1862-63), 

 Prof. P. Martin Duncan (President in 1876-77), the Duke of Devon- 

 shire (elected in 1829), Mr. K. B. Grantham (elected in 1833), 

 Prof. J. Leidy (elected Foreign Member in 1866), Prof, Ferdinand 

 von Roemer (elected Foreign Member in 1859), Baron Achille de 

 Zigno (elected Foreign Correspondent in 1886), the Earl of Northesk, 

 Mr. Frederic Drew, Mr. J. Thornhill Harrison, Sir J. Hawkshaw, 

 ■Mr. Thos. Roberts, Mr. C. S. Wilkinson, Mr. Kinsey Dover, and 

 Mr. Collett Homersham. 



The other portion of the Address was devoted to a continuation 

 of the subject treated of last year, and dealt with the history of 

 volcanic action in this country from the close of the Silurian period 

 up to Older Tertiary time. The remarkable volcanic outbursts that 

 took place in the great lakes of the Lower Old Red Sandstone were 

 •first described. From different vents over Central Scotland, piles 

 of lava and tuff", much thicker than the height of Vesuvius, v/ere 

 accumulated, and their remains now form the most conspicuous hill- 

 ranges of that district. It was shown how the subterranean activity 

 gradually lessened and died out, with only a slight revival in the 

 far north during the time of the Upper Old Red Sandstone, and 

 how it broke out again with great vigour at the beginning of the 

 Carboniferous period. Sir Archibald pointed out that the Carbon- 

 iferous volcanoes belong to two distinct types and two separate 

 epochs of eruption. The earlier series produced vast submarine 

 lava-sheets, the remains of which now rise as broad terraced 

 plateaux over parts of the Lowlands of Scotland. The later series 

 manifested itself chiefly in the formation of numerous cones of ashes 

 which were dotted over the lagoons and shallow seas. After a long 

 quiescence, volcanic action once more reappeared in the Permian 

 period, and numerous small vents were opened in Fife and Ayrshire 

 and far to the South in Devonshire. With these eruptions the long 

 record of Palaeozoic volcanic activity closed. No trace has yet been 



