June 15, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEAA^S. 



571 



the microscope as a means of obtaining a very economical 

 and simple fine adjustment, on which some discussion 

 took place. Dr. A. C. Stokes's paper on " New Infusoria 

 Flagellata from American Fresh Waters," containing de- 

 scriptions of twenty new species, was read. Messrs. H. 

 W. Burrows, C. D. Sherborn, and Rev. G. Bailey's paper 

 on " The Forarainifera of the Red Chalk " was also 

 read. 



THE VICTORIA (PHILOSOPHICAL) INSTITUTE. 

 The annual general meeting of this Society was held on 

 the 4th of June, and was largely attended. The Presi- 

 dent, Professor G. G. Stokes, P.R.S., M.P., took the chair. 

 The twenty-second annual report was read by Captain 

 Frank Petrie, the Honorary Secretary, and referred to 

 the continued progress of the Institute, which now num- 

 bered 1,300 members, and .to the constantly increasing 

 number of prominent men in that great body of scientists, 

 of whom every Englishman was so justly proud, who 

 were joining the Institute and taking part in its work. Much 

 of that work tended to aid science, and some of a special 

 character tended to show the error of those who sought 

 to attack religion in the name of science. Sir J. Risdon 

 Bennett, F.R.S., moved the adoption of the report, and 

 referred to the important volume of Transactions just 

 issued as sufficient evidence of the sound principles on 

 which the Institute was conducted. Professor H. W. 

 Bristow, F.R.S., Senior Director of the Geological Survey, 

 seconded the adoption of the report, and complimented 

 the Council on the excellent way in which their work 

 had been done. Mr. David Howard, F.C.S., returned 

 thanks on behalf of the Council. 



Sir Monier WiUiams then delivered the address on 

 " Mystical Buddhism." He commenced by showing that, 

 to the Buddhist, Bodhi, or true knowledge, was knowledge 

 acquired through the intellectual faculties, explaining 

 that originally Buddhism abstained from mysticism, which 

 was developed through the connection of Buddhism with 

 the " Yoga " system, or system of contemplation, to bring 

 about the so-called '' union " of man's spirit with the spirit 

 of the universe. With the Buddha creation did not pro- 

 ceed from an Omnipotent spirit evolving phenomena by 

 the exercise of an Almighty will, and he did not believe 

 in the eternal existence of the soul. He regarded every 

 man as created by the force of his own acts in former 

 bodies. Sir Monier then explained all the various methods 

 of fasting self-torture practised by the Buddhists with a 

 view to bringing their bodies into subjection to their 

 spirits, and to the trance-like states induced, and pomted 

 out that the so called spiritualism, Neo-Buddhism, and 

 theosophy, animal magnetism, clairvoyance, thought-read- 

 ing, etc., of the present day had their counterparts over 

 two thousand years ago in India, but it was to be doubted 

 whether they would bear the searching light of European 

 scientific examination. 



The Bishop of Dunedin moved a vote of thanks to Sir 

 Monier Williams, and to those who had contributed to 

 the papers and discussions during the j^ear. These in- 

 cluded : Sir J. W. Dawson, K.C.M.G., F.R.S.; M. Mas- 

 pero. Sir Joseph Fayrer, K.C.S.I., F.R.S. ; Sir C. Wilson, 

 K.C.B., F.R.S. ; Professor Geikie, F.R.S. ; Captain Whar- 

 ton, F.R.S. ; Mr. W. H. Huddleston, F.R.S. ; Professors 

 Hull, F.R.S. ; Tristram, F.R.S.; Duns, F.R.S.E. ; Cowell, 

 Douglas, de Lacouperie, Leitner, Mr. John Murray of the 

 Challenger expedition, Dr. Guppy, Admirals Guppy and 

 Scott, and others. As to the annual address, all regarded 



Sir Monier Williams as one of the leading authorities 

 upon Buddhism, the characteristi : of which was that all 

 good was said to spring from within man himself, while 

 Christianity recognised that it came from above. Budd- 

 hism itself had failed in practice, and had proved itself 

 unsuited to reasonable men ; it was essentially the bare, 

 hollow emptiness described by Sir Monier Williams, and 

 offered nothing but metaphysics and superstition, and 

 esoteric Buddhism was no better. 



Mr. W. S. Seton Karr seconded the vote of thanks, 

 and said that from his long experience in India he held 

 very similar views. 



Sir Henry Barkly, K.C.B., F.R.S., moved a vote of 

 thanks to the President for his kindness in adding to his 

 duties as President of the Royal Society, Member for his 

 University, and many others, that of presiding guide of 

 the Victoria Institute. 



A conversazione was afterwards held in the museum. 



HALIFAX SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 

 On May 28th Mr. Robert Law, F.G.S.,gave an interesting 

 lecture entitled, "Caves and their Contents." Dr. Solomon 

 C. Smith occupied the chair. The lecturer commenced by 

 explaining that caves may be formed in two ways— the 

 one termed the chemical, and the other the mechanical. 

 Those made by chemical action are always the largest 

 and most important, and are found in limestone districts. 

 Every shower of rain brings down a certain amount of 

 carbonic acid gas in solution from the atmosphere, which 

 has the power of dissolving limestone rock. In this way 

 the softer portions get gradually washed away, leaving 

 hollow cavities. In some instances water flows through 

 fissures or holes in the rocks for a considerable distance 

 underground, so forming caverns which vary in height 

 and width according to the hardness of the material 

 which composes its walls. In some places they may be 

 very wide and lofty, and at others so small that a person 

 can scarcely pass through ; this is owing to the softer 

 portions of the rock falling from the roof and sides, and 

 being washed away much quicker than the rest. The 

 caves formed by mechanical means are not very numer- 

 ous, and never very large. They are mostly found on the 

 seashore, and formed by the force of the waves dashing 

 against them ; while in the coal measures and grit rocks 

 we find none at all, simply because there is no substance 

 that will readily dissolve. From the remotest age caverns 

 have been used as dwelling-places by man, but it was not 

 until the year 1S22 that any idea was formed of their 

 antiquity. In that year Dr. Buckland first explored 

 Kirkdale Cavern, and not only found traces of man, but 

 also the bones of wild animals which have now become 

 extinct. Since that time cave researches have been 

 carried on with scrupulous care, and it is found that 

 traces of man extend to several periods. In the upper 

 layers are found implements and weapons made of 

 metal (mostly bronze) together with the bones of recent 

 animals ; but in the lower layers are implements made in 

 the rudest fashion from flint, and in close proximity are 

 found bones of such wild animals as the rhinoceros, 

 mammoth, hippopotamus, hyaena, cave bear, etc. During 

 the investigation of the old river beds in the valley of the 

 Somme, in France, implements of flint were found re- 

 sembling those from caves, and supposed to have been 

 made about the same time. The lecturer endeavoured 

 to give some idea of the enormous length of time it must 



