525 
therewith furnishing an extensive cabinet of his own, and distribu- 
ting liberally his duplicates to several public museums in London, 
including the British Museum, the Museums of the College of Sur- 
geons and that of the Geological miele of which Society he im- 
mediately became a member. 
Mr. Gibson’s attention being thus awakened to the consideration 
of organic remains, he soon discovered that, at Stratford-le-Bow, he 
was living in a land once inhabited by pachydermata that were 
contemporaneous with the ancient inhabitants of the cave of Kirk- 
dale ; and soon added to his rich osteological collection from York- 
shire the remains of elephants, rhinoceros, hippopotami, oxen and 
deer, which abound near Stratford in the brick-earth pits, that are 
extensively excavated at Ilford. In his death we have to deplore 
the loss of an acute and zealous discoverer and promoter of Pale- 
ontology; and it has become the bounden duty of all the cultivaturs 
of this science, and more particularly of myself, to record our sense 
of the judicious sagacity and liberality of Mr. Gibson, but for whom 
the catacombs of Kirkdale might never have been heard of, and 
their records of our Yorkshire Hyzenopolis might have perished 
without finding an interpreter. 
Dr. Larrp. Our ingratitude would be unpardonable, if in re-' 
viewing the list of our losses during the past year, we omitted to pay 
our tribute of acknowledgement to one, who though personally 
known to but few of our present Members, has laid a deep obliga- 
tion upon every individual among us by the services he rendered at 
the first formation of the Geological Society in 1807, as the colleague 
of Mr. Horner in the laborious functions of our secretariat. We 
are well aware of the labour and difficulties of the unobtrusive, but 
most important duties which devolve on this department in all pub- 
lic establishments; and that an efficient-secretary is always among 
the greatest benefactors, and usually the mainspring of the move- 
ments of infant societies. During the three first years of the exist- 
ence of the Geological Society of London, we find the name of 
Dr. Laird associated with that of Mr. Horner in the unwearied and 
zealous discharge of the laborious functions which the establish- 
ment of a new Society, under circumstances of formidable opposi- 
tion from high quarters, inevitably entailed upon the public-spirited 
individuals who were thus efficient in laying the foundation of that 
prosperous and useful career in which for more than thirty years 
we have proceeded. 
Dr. Laird was the intimate friend of Dr. Babington, with whom 
he passed much of his time, assisting him in his correspondence, and 
occasionally aiding him in his profession. In Dr. Babington’s house 
were held the first meetings of the individuals who, having come 
together chiefly for the purpose of mutual improvement in his favour- 
ite science, Mineralogy, soon transferred their attention to the more 
comprehensive master-science of Geology. Geology at this time 
had made comparatively little progress in England, and as the 
services of a pupil of Werner, Dr. Berger of Geneva, were then 
available, Dr. Laird was very instrumental, together with Dr. Ba- 
