Miscellaneous. 95 



centre of origin. Any disturbance in the equilibrium of tbe several 

 fragments of the crust gives rise to increased volcanic activity on the 

 islands, and to earthquakes on the mainland or in Sicily ".^ 



Further subsidence in the futui-e is not improbable. At present 

 there are symptoms of activity in Stromboli. 



The Royal SociExr. — On November 30, St. Andrew's Day, 1908, 

 Sir Archibald Geikie, K.C.B., was elected President of the Royal 

 Society. It is satisfactory to find that Geology as a distinct science 

 has been recognized in this way, although it appears surprising that 

 Lyoll, in his time, had never been chosen. Of previous Presidents 

 Wollaston had been a Vice-Pi'esident of the Geological Society and he 

 founded its Wollaston Medal, Sir Humphry Davy liad been a Founder 

 of the Society and Vice-President, Davies Gilbert had been a Vice- 

 President, the second Marquis of Northampton (then Earl Compton) 

 and Huxley had been Presidents of the Geological Society. 



Appointment of a Kekper of Zoology in the British Museum: 

 (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London. — This office, which 

 since the retirement of Dr. A. Giinther, F.R.S,, in 1895, was 

 temporarily/ attached {without salary) to the post of Director of the 

 Museum, first under Sir William H. Flower, K.C.B.,from 1895-8, 

 and afterwards under Professor (now Sir) E. Ray Lankester, K.C.B., 

 from 1898-1907, has at length been filled by the appointment of 

 Dr. Sidney F. Harmer, M.A., F.R.S., Fellow of King's College, 

 Cambridge, and Superintendent of the University Museum of Zoology. 

 Dr. Harmer has already done excellent work in Zoology, and being 

 now only in his 46th year, if his liealth and courage do not fail him, 

 may look forward to twenty years' service under the Trustees in the 

 National Museum. 



We regret to learn that the important post of Director, created by 

 Parliament in 1856, and held successively by Owen (1856-84), 

 Flower (1884-98), Lankester (1898-1907) 'for a period of fifty-one 

 years, has now remained vacant for two years. Surely the Trustees 

 need not be at a loss to find an able Biologist in this country to fill 

 the office, or is it to be abolished on economic grounds ? 



The Neav Director of the Welsh National Museum, Cardiff. — 

 At a meeting at Cardiff on Saturday, December 5, 1908, of the 

 Welsh National Museum Council, Sir Alfred Thomas, M.P., presiding, 

 Dr. W. E. Hoyle, Director of the Manchester Museum and lecturer 

 in the University of Manchester, was appointed Director of the 

 National Museum of Wales at a salary of £700 per annum. 

 Dr. Hoyle will commence his duties not later than March 2b, 

 1909.— J)aihj News, December 7, 1908. 



Micrasters. — Many workers in the Chalk having expressed a desire 

 to examine critically the series of Micrasters shown in the Science 

 Gallery of the Franco-British Exhibition, the owners have, with the 



1 The Face of (he Earth (English edition), 190i, vol. i, pp. So, 86, 175. 



