188 Reports and Proceedings. 



Prof. Seeley replied as follows : — 



Mr. President, — I have ever been taught that the Geological Society 

 is the fountain of geological honour. It has always been a great honour 

 to be associated with the Fellows of this Society, who are constructing 

 the sciences we cultivate. Out of this association have grown bonds 

 of comradeship, encouraging some of us to follow on in the labour of 

 those whose work is ended ; and when, Sir, I receive at your hands 

 this award of the Balance of the Murchison Fund, 1 am grateful for 

 such a distinguished mark of sympathy with my special studies, and 

 shall be encouraged by it to prosecute researches which I hope may be 

 better worthy of the Society's acceptance. 



The President then proceeded to read his Anniversary Address, in 

 which, after congratulating the Fellows upon their having at length 

 got possession of their new premises, he called attention to the advant- 

 age which accrued both to the Fellows of the Society and to the officers 

 of the School of Mines, Geological Survey, and Museum of Practical 

 Geology, by the close proximity of the two establishments, and ex- 

 pressed a hope that there might be no severance of this union whether 

 by the removal of the School of Mines to South Kensington or other- 

 wise. He also contrasted the position of the Society as regards Funds, 

 number of Fellows, etc., in 1829 and in 1875, the former being the 

 first year in which the Anniversary Meeting of the Society was held in 

 the Society's rooms at Somerset House. He then took up the main 

 subject of his Address, namely, the question of the antiquity of the 

 human race, and the geological evidence bearing upon it. The Address 

 was prefaced by some obituary notices of Fellows and Foreign Members 

 deceased during the past year, including Prof. Phillips, Dr. F. Stoliczka, 

 the Kev. C. Kingsley, Mr. J. W. Pike, Dr. Arnott, Prof. W. Macdonald, 

 M. Elie de Beaumont, and M. J. J. d'Omalius d'Halloy. 



The Ballot for the Council and Officers was taken, and the following 

 were duly elected for the ensuing year : — President: John Evans, Esq., 

 F.R.S. Vice-Presidents: Prof. P. Martin Duncan, M.B., F.R.S. ; 

 Robert Etheridge, Esq., F.R.S. ; Sir Charles Lyell, Bart, D.C.L., 

 F.R.S. ; Prof. A. C. Ramsay, LL.D., F.R.S. Secretaries : David 

 Forbes, Esq., F.R.S.; Rev. T. "Wiltshire, M.A. Foreign Secretary: 

 Warington W. Smyth, Esq., M.A., F.R.S. Treasurer : J. Gwyn 

 Jeffreys, LL.D., F.R.S. Council: H. Bauerman, Esq.; Frederic 

 Drew, Esq. ; Prof. P. Martin Duncan, F.R.S. ; Sir P. de M. G. Eger- 

 ton, Bart., M.P., F.R.S.; R. Etheridge, Esq., F.R.S.; John Evans, 

 Esq., F.R.S., F.S.A.; David Forbes, Esq., F.R.S.; R. A. C. Godwin- 

 Austen, Esq., F.R.S. ; Henry Hicks, Esq. ; Prof. T. McKenny Hughes, 

 M.A. ; J. W. Hulke, Esq., F.R.S. ; J. Gwyn Jeffreys, LL.D., F.R.S. ; 

 Sir Charles Lyell, Bart., D.C.L., F.R.S. ; C. J. A. Meyer, Esq. ; J. 

 Carrick Moore, Esq., M.A., F.R.S.; Prof. A. C. Ramsay, LL.D., 

 F.R.S. ; Samuel Sharp, Esq., F.S.A. ; Warington W. Smyth, Esq., 

 M.A., F.R.S. ; H. C. Sorby, Esq., F.R.S. ; Prof. J. Tennant, F.C.S. ; 

 W. Whitaker, Esq., B.A. ; Rev. T. Wiltshire, M.A., F.L.S. ; Henry 

 Woodward, Esq., F.R.S. 



