September 30, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



437 



versity. The subject of his address was 

 ' Stereochemistry and Vitalism.' He dis- 

 cussed Pasteur's researches in molecu- 

 lar asymmetry, aimed to demonstrate the 

 correctness of his belief now generally 

 questioned by chemists, that life is neces- 

 sary for the production of optically active 

 organic compounds. Professor Japp de- 

 duced from Pasteur's results the inade- 

 quacy of any interpretation of the phenom- 

 ena of life which is based solely on the 

 mechanics of atoms. In the general sec- 

 tional proceedings Professor Ramsay and 

 Dr. Morris Travers gave an account of their 

 recent discoveries, especially in reference 

 to ' Neon,' one of the three new constitu- 

 ents of the atmosphere, and Professor Sid- 

 ney Young reviewed his physico-chemical 

 investigations under the title of ' Some Re- 

 searches on the Thermal Properties of Gases 

 and Liquids.' Among points of more gen- 

 eral interest included in the paper was the 

 fractional distillation of liquids and an ex- 

 tended study of the subject in relation to 

 the separation of pure hydrocarbons from 

 American petroleum. Dr. W. J. Russell 

 gave an account of his work on the action 

 of certain peculiar and special radiations 

 from metallic surfaces upon photographic 

 plates. Bristol offered special attractions 

 to chemists on account of the interesting 

 chemical works in its neighborhood. 



Section C (Geology) was presided over by 

 Mr. W. H. Huddleston,P.R.S. His address 

 dealt mainly with certain points in the 

 geology of the Southwest of England, east 

 of Dartmoor. Special attention was directed 

 to the survey map on the scale of four miles 

 to an inch, which has lately been issued. 

 The principal alterations were briefly dis- 

 cussed. Accepting Bath as a center with a 

 radius of about fifty miles, attention was 

 drawn to the great variety of geological 

 formations within that area — a variety not 

 to be matched elsewhere in an equal space. 

 Some of the results of recent observations 



were recorded, and certain peculiarities, 

 long known in connection with the district, 

 noticed — for instance, the passage of the old 

 red sandstone into the Devonian, and, again, 

 of the Carboniferous limestone into part of 

 the culm-measures. Even in Mesozoic 

 times the contrast presented by the inferior 

 oolite of Dundry to that of the Cotswolds 

 has given rise to much discussion. In tec- 

 tonic geology, likewise, the Gloucestershire 

 coalfield exhibits a remarkable change in 

 the strike of the beds, indicating that two 

 distinct systems of movement must have 

 been at work within that area. The possible 

 evidences of glacial action in the Cotswolds 

 was discussed, and brief mention was made 

 of the more recent changes which are known 

 to have taken place in the estuary of the 

 Severn. 



Among the papers promised for this Sec- 

 tion were the following : Professor Hull, 

 F.R.S., ' On the Sub-Oceanic Physical Fea- 

 tures of the North Atlantic;' Mr. A Stra- 

 han, ' On the Revision of the South Wales 

 Coalfield by the Geological Survey;' Mr. E. 

 B. "Wethered, ' On the Building of the Clif- 

 ton Rocks;' Mr. S. S. Buckman, 'On the 

 so-called Midford Sands ;' Mr. H. B. Wood- 

 ward, F.R.S., 'On Arborescent Markings 

 in Carboniferous Limestone ;' Professor 

 Lloyd-Morgan, ' Some Notes on Local Geol- 

 ogy,' and the Rev. G. C. H. Pollen, ' On 

 the Further Exploration of the Newydd 

 Caves, North Wales.' Professor Hull's 

 paper brought forward additional evidence 

 in favor of the author's well-known views on 

 Continental elevations. Professor Lloyd- 

 Morgan's paper on the local geology was an 

 invaluable introduction to the excursions. 

 The long excursion to Exeter and Dartmoor 

 at the close of the meeting was also one of 

 special interest for geologists. 



Professor W. F. R. Weldon, F.R.S., pre- 

 sided over Section D (Zoology and Physiol- 

 ogy. In his address he urged the necessity 

 of a statistical treatment of the problems 



