244 Eminent Living Geologists — 



the iirovision for which is constantly beino; increased by the enlarge- 

 ment of old laboratories and the building of new ones. 



As a relief from professional work Professor Geikie has indulged, 

 as most folk do, in hobbies. One of these has been the study of 

 foreign literature — not wholly geological, as the issue of a volume of 

 translations of Heine's Songs and Lyrics may serve to show. But not 

 much idle time outside his professional duties has been allowed him, 

 for he has been twice elected a President of a section of the British 

 Association, that of Geography in Edinburgh and of Geology at 

 Newcastle ; while the United States carried him off to America to 

 deliver a course of lectures at the Lowell Institute in Boston. 



Professor James Geikie received the Brisbane Medal of the E,oyal 

 Society of Edinburgh and also the Murchison Medal of the Geological 

 Society of London in 1889. In presenting the latter Dr. W. T. 

 Blanfoid, then President of the Geological Society, said: "Tlie Council 

 has awarded the Murchison Medal to Professor James Geikie in 

 acknowledgment of his important contributions to the geology of 

 North Britain, and especially of his investigation of glacial 

 phenomena. His Great Ice Age contained a full, careful, and 

 admirably written summary of the observations made up to 1874, 

 and the interest excited by the work was proved by a second edition 

 being required in 1877. Professor Geikie has besides published 

 numerous papers, not the least important of which were two that 

 appeared in the Society's Quarterly Journal containing his observa- 

 tions ' On the Glacial Phenomena of the Long Island or Outer 

 Hebrides'." 



A third edition of his Great Ice Age (largely rewiitten) was 

 published in 1894, and although so long a period had elapsed since 

 the second edition appeared it speaks highly for the author's merits 

 and charm as a writer that the book had lost none of its interest with 

 geologists, nor with the reading jmblic in general. 



One of the most important advances nuide in glacial geology is 

 afforded by the various evidences which have been brought to light 

 which tend to establish the conclusion that prehistoric man was 

 living and resident in Europe probably before the Great Ice Age, and 

 certainly during the several mild interglacial periods which, occurred 

 prior to the final removal of the intense cold and the great permanent 

 snow-fields of the Northern Hemisphere. In a valuable and 

 exhaustive notice of Dr. James Geikie's work at the time (see 

 Geol. Mag., 1895, pp. 29-38) Dr. Hinde observes: "Opinions may 

 differ respecting some of the generalizations of the author, but all 

 will agree on the value and importance of having the evidence on 

 this subject stated in so clear and impartial a manner." 



The warmest personal regard is entertained for Professor James 

 Geikie, not only by his many friends and fellow-workers, but by 

 the still larger number of those students who have come under the 

 influence of his teaching and his writings during the past thirty 

 years, and he will always be remembered as having added new 

 impulse both to geography and geology, especially in the University 

 of Edinburgh, where his name and services are not likely soon to be 

 forgotten. 



