132 Reports and Proceedings — 



Mr. Judd could not over-estimate the value of Mr. Sharp's lahours, extended, as 

 they had been, over nearly a whole lifetime. They afforded another instance of the 

 great value of local inquiries in geology. It was becoming more and more evident 

 that the sequence of beds which held good for one place required some modification in 

 another ; and that in each case there was a more or less distinct local series, showing 

 that in no one locality was the sequence absolutely perfect, as indeed had been already 

 pointed out by Mr. Darwin. 



Mr. Charlesworth remarked on a specimen of the teeth of the genus LepidoUts 

 exhibited, consisting of cylindrical columns surmounted by a conical crown, which 

 struck him as one of unusual interest in the magnificent collection displayed. He 

 commented on the value of such local collections for palseontological purposes, and on 

 the necessity of their being formed if the progress of geology was to be furthered. 



Prof. Duncan also was highly impressed with the value of Mr. Sharp's collection. 

 He remarked on two specimens of Madreporaria, one of which, TJmmnastrcea coiwiiina, 

 presented a series of ridges significant of intermittent growth. The other form pre- 

 sented a strange relic of Palaeozoic coral forms, being intei'sected by tabula like those 

 of ancient times. It afforded an instance of a tabulate Actinozoon, in oppositionto 

 the opinion of Agassiz that the Tabulata belonged to the Hydrozoa. Both species 

 grew on narrow bases ; and though not reef-corals, were forms such as were to be 

 found in the neighbourhood of reefs. Taken in conjunction with the Saurian remains, 

 he thought they were symptomatic of shallow sea conditions, such as those existing 

 between the continent of America and the West-India Islands. 



Mr. H. Woodward contrasted the collections formerly exhibited to the Society with 

 the grand series now shown by the author, inasmuch as in former times the same 

 amount of regard had not been paid to the stratigraphical position of the specimens, 

 and their value was in consequence almost destroyed. 



Mr. Sharp, in reply, mentioned that some portion of his collection had been formed 

 by Mr. Bentley, and not by himself, and that therefore he could not claim the credit 

 of the whole. He was gratified to find that there was so little disagreement with his 

 conclusions. 



The Chairman, in conclusion, expressed his satisfaction at the fact that, notwith- 

 standing the existence of the Geological Survey, there was still room left for individual 

 discovery and research, which in this instance had served to rectify what might have 

 been erroneous views on the part of the Survey. 



IV. — The Anniversary Meeting of the Society was held on Friday, the 21st of 

 February. His Grace the Duke of Argyll, KT., President, in the Chair. 



The finances of the Society were reported to be in a highly satisfactory state. 



TheWoUaston Gold Medal was awarded to Sir Philip de Malpas Grey Egerton, 

 Bart., M.P., for his eminent services to Palseontological Science, and particularly in 

 recognition of his researches in Fossil Fishes. 



The Balance of the Wollaston Fund was awarded to J. W. Judd, Esq., F.G.S., in 

 aid of his investigation into the Geology of Sutherlandshire, etc. 



The First Murchison Bronze Medal (together with a part of the Fund) was 

 awarded to Mr. William Davies, of the British Museum, in recognition of his long 

 and valuable services, rendered, during a period of thirty years, to the cause of 

 Paleeontological Science. 



The Balance of the Murchison Fund was awarded to Prof. Oswald Heer, of 

 Zurich, in aid of his researches into the Miocene Flora of Arctic Europe, Greenland, 

 and America. 



The Anniversary Address was delivered by His Grace the Duke of Argyll, as 

 President, in which he ably controverted the theory of a Polar Ice-cap extending to 

 the South of Europe and contended that even the powers of Glaciers to cut out 

 valleys and excavate lake-basins had been vastly over-estimated, and argued that 

 the valleys down which the Glaciers flowed existed before the Glaciers occupied them. 



EoYAL Geological Society of Ireland.— Dublin.— The annual general 

 meeting of this Society was held in the Museum of Trinity College, on Wednesday, 

 12th February, when the President, Professor Alexander Macalister, M.B., read his 

 address ; and the following officers for the incoming year were elected : — President : 

 Professor Edward Hull, M.A., F. U.S. Vice-Presideitts: Earl of Enniskillen, F.R.S.; 

 Col. M. Taylor ; Alexander Macalister, M.B.; Kev. H. Lloyd, Provost, T.C.D.; Sir 

 EicharJ Griffith, Bart., LL.D. Treasurers: William Andrews, Esq.; Samuel 



