The " Coming-of-Age" of (he Geological Magazine. 47 



Sir, expressed from this chair in reference to myself in your Presidential address in 

 February last, and I am grateful to learn how large a number of my friends have 

 inscribed their names to this very bandsome gift, which will be to me a lasting token 

 of their regard and friendship, and for my children after me. 



The Geological Magazine is not by any means the earliest periodical specially 

 devoted to geology, although it may very justly claim to have survived for a longer 

 period than either of its predecessors. 



The first attempt was made by Mr. Edward Charlesworth, F.G.S., who commenced 

 "The London Geological Journal " in September, 1846. Three very excellent and 

 ricbly illustrated Numbers appeared in September, 1846, and February and May, 1847, 

 when it expired - probably from want of funds. The veteran Editor still survives, 

 and so also do three of his contributors, Prof. Morris, Mr. James Carter of Cam- 

 bridge, and Mr. William Cunnington, F.G.S., formerly of Devizes, Wilts. 



The " Geologist," edited by Mr. S. J. Mackie, was commenced in 1858, and after 

 five years and a half was merged (by purchase) in the Geological Magazine in 

 July, 1864. 



It is pleasant to observe amongst the contributors to the first volume of the 

 " Geologist" in 1858, the names of the Rev. P. B. Brodie, Prof. J. Morris, Prof. 

 Rupert Jones, Prof. (Sir) A. C. Ramsay, and Prof. Prestwich, names still prominent 

 on the " roll-call " of eminent living geologists. 



It is gratifying to know that for the past 21 years I have carried with me so large 

 and influential a body of supporters, both at home and abroad. 



But of the friends who stood beside us at the outset of our enterprise, many have, 

 alas ! left us and " gone with the great departed into the Silent Land." 



I rejoice, however, that Sir Richard Owen, Sir A. C. Ramsay, Dr. A. Geikie, 

 Professors Huxley, Prestwich, Rupert Joues, Morris, Boyd Dawkins, Ruskin, 

 Edward Hull, H. G. Seeley, Bonney, Nicholson, Dr. John Evans, Mr. Etheridge, 

 Mr. Topley, Mr. H. M. Jenkins, Mr. Kinahan, Mr. Meyer and many others amongst 

 my first contributors, are still with us ; nor have we lacked very many new and able 

 friends who have helped us through what may be termed the " renaissance period," or 

 middle-age of our existence, and have continued to stand by us manfully until the 

 present day. 



Glancing for a moment at the period embraced by the joint volumes of the 

 "Geologist" and the Geological Magazine combined (i.e. 28 years), we have 

 witnessed in that quarter of a century some of the greatest advances which have ever 

 been made in our science. 



The dissemination of the Darwinian theory of Evolution has made the long-buried 

 past of Geological history only an early chapter in the life of our earth, and Palaeon- 

 tology and Zoology have clasped hands never to be again disassociated. 



The past quarter-century has also revealed to us that wonderful chapter in the 

 History of Early Man as displayed in the Old River Valley Gravels, Brickearths, and 

 Peat Deposits, in the Bone-caves, Rock-shelters, Kitchen-middens, Lake-dwellings, 

 and other Quaternary records of our Race, bringing into prominence the latest 

 chapter of Geology which ' dovetails ' the ' prehistoric ' with the ' historic ' periods. 



The time would fail to tell of the progress of our science in a better knowledge of 

 Physiography, of " Climate and Time," the " Great Ice-Age," the Study of Earth- 

 quakes and Volcanoes ; the Depths of the Sea ; the Formation of Mountain Chains ; 

 of Metamorphism ; Atmospheric Denudation ; of the Continuity of Matter. Lastly, 

 but most important, both for organic and inorganic studies, has been the graud 

 development of Microscopic research as applied both to Palasontological and Minera- 

 logical studies, w T ith which the names of our past l'resident H. C. Sorby, and our 



