354 JOURNAL OF CONCHOI.OGY, VOL. 9, NO. 12, OCTOBER, 19OO. 



by her several European representatives, passing round an island 

 exhibiting the geological structure of the crust of our globe with much 

 minuteness under the influence of a sunny sky, that you might almost 

 fancy some invisible hand had been round the night before with a 

 huge scarifier to lay bare the surface and clear it of unnatural debris 

 for our inspection ! Every stratum of chalk and different coloured 

 earths and sands are displayed in sections under the cliffs, and every 

 point of interest was explained as we steamed along, by the different 

 geological chiefs most conversant with it. Imagine, then, this float- 

 ing beacon of philosophy, with now a Murchison, now a Buckland, 

 mounted on some conspicuous eminence in the vessel, holding a 

 series of conventicles, though I must say that the latter, notwith- 

 standing his clerical habiliments, looked more like a Lavater than a 

 Roundhead, his countenance beaming with good nature, his language 

 teeming with figures of fun. It was quite dark long before we got 

 back to port, having landed twice for a closer examination of the 

 scenery. To-day I have been attending the sections ; my diagrams 

 have just arrived, and to-morrow or Wednesday I am going to hold 

 forth on the calcifying functions of the mollusca. 



I find I have got into a third sheet of paper, and am becoming 

 rather prosy ; so will reserve further accounts till my return, as I 

 think of running over to Portsmouth to-morrow. I may, however, 

 have to defer this till Wednesday, as we all dine together to-morrow, 

 the president in the chair. 



The Queen came to the pier this morning in the royal yacht to 

 fetch Prince Albert, but did not land, notwithstanding the city 

 Bumbles turned out with their regalia. She waited there half-an-hour 

 for the prince, and had the president in for a chat. 

 ****** 



I hope, please God, to be with you on Thursday, though it seems 

 an age to think of. The time here is a paradox, it flies quickly, 

 though it seems the realization of an age. 



Excuse errors, for I haven't time to revise my letter, and believe 

 me 3 Ever, dear E — , with kisses to yourself and bairns, 



Your affectionate husband, 



{Signed) Lovell Reeve. 



[Copy of Letter]. 



British Association, Birmingham, 

 My dear E— : Sept. 15th, 1849. 



I was glad to receive your letter to-day (having none yesterday), 

 and am pleased to find you speak so kindly and sincerely of your 

 reception in Ipswich. I am just returned from our excursion to the 

 Dudley Caverns. It has been truly an extraordinary sight. They 



