Itejjorts and Proceedingn — Geological Society of London. 181- 



Professor Adams has been actively engaged in the study of the rocks of the great 

 Dominion, and by work in the field and the laboratory has contributed largely to our 

 knowledge of their petrography and their genesis. The study of those ancient rocks, 

 the pre-Cambriau age of which was first demonstrated in Canada, lias advanced far 

 during recent years ; but they are still to some degree enshrouded in mystery, and the 

 labours of our Medallist are thro^nng light upon the obscurity. 



He is also occupied with Avork among igneous rocks bearing upon problems 

 connected with petrographical provinces and the differentiation of igneous magmas. 

 I may more especially allude to his paper on " The Monteregian Hills— a Canadian 

 Petrographical Pro^auce," published in the Journal of Geology for April-May, 1903. 



Nor has he occupied himself with observation to the neglect of experiment, and 

 one result of his laboratory work is that most interesting and suggestive paper, "An 

 Experimental Investigation into the Flow of Marble," written in conjunction with. 

 Dr. J. T. Nicholson, and published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal 

 Society (ser. A, vol. cxcv, p. 363). The experiments described in this paper tend to 

 2)rove that not only 



" The solid earth on which we stand, 

 In tracts of fluent heat began, 

 And grew to seeming random foims. 

 The seeming prey of cyclic storms," 

 but that, even now, internal tracts which are in the ordinary sense solid, 



" flow 

 From form to form," 

 with results which have a most important effect upon various rock-structures. 



Professor Adams is successful also as a teacher, and we rejoice to know that, under 

 his care, a geological school flourishes in McGill University, endeared to us all by its 

 association with the name of Sir WiUiam Dawson. 



We regret Professor Adams's absence to-day. ' Let us hope that we may welcome 

 him and many other geologists who are advancing our science in many parts of the 

 Empire, on that auspicious occasion in the coming year when we shall celebrate 

 the centenary of the foundation of our Society. 



Sir Archibald G-eikie, in reply, expressed the pleasure with which 

 he received this Medal on behalf of his friend Professor Adams, 

 from whom the following letter had just been received in answer to 

 the Secretary's announcement of the award : — 



" Petrographical Laboratory, McGill University, Montreal, February 2nd, 1906. 

 " Professor Edmund J. Garwood, M.A., Secretary of the Geological Society. 

 " Deal- Sir, — 

 " I have received your kind letter conveying the very welcome and most 

 unexpected information that the Council of the Geological Society have this year 

 awarded to me the Lyell Medal. I regret extremely that it is impossible for me to be 

 in London at the time of the annual meeting, so that I might have the pleasure of 

 receiving the Medal in person. 



"It IS impossible tor me to express adequately my thanks to the Council of the 

 Geological Society for the great and unexpected houom- which they have done me. 

 Sir Charles Lyell's name, known as it is wherever geology is taught, is among us here 

 associated with very kindly memories. For, during his second VvAi to America, 

 Sir Charles met Dr. (afterwards Sir William) Dawson, then a young man commencing 

 his geological work, and with him visited and studied the now renowned Joggins 

 section of the Carboniferous of Nova Scotia. Lyell's help, counsel, and encourage- 

 ment at that time, greatly stimulated Dawson to increased endeavour and further 

 work. In 18S1 Dawson became the recipient of the Lyell Medal, indicating that 

 his endeavours had been crowned with some measure of success. As Sii- William 

 Dawson was my earliest teacher in geology, as well as my predecessor in the Chair 

 which I now hold, the award of the Lyell Medal a second time to the Logan 

 Professor of Geology at McGill University will still further serve to perpetuate 

 Lyell's memory here, and to strengthen the bond of union between the geologists of 

 Canada and the great Geological Society which has its seat at the Capital of the 

 Empire. 



