180 • Reports and Proceedings — 



it was with great pleasure that he undertook to he the means of conveying to thaii 

 gentleman this testimony of the Society's appreciation of his palseontological lahours; 

 Mr. Hulke also read the following letter, which had been received from Mr. Busk : — 



"32, Harley Street. Feb. 11, 1878.— Dear Mr. President,— I much regret that I 

 shall be unable to attend the Anniversary Meeting, and have therefore to beg that 

 you will be kind enough to express to the Council my very grateful sense of the 

 honour they purpose to do me in the award of the Lyell Medal. There is none I 

 could esteem more highly, coming as it does from a body with which I have been 

 so long connected and containing so many old and valued friends, whose opinion, as 

 thus expressed, of the little I have been able to do in the cause of Geological Science, 

 has alforded me the greatest gratification. The testimonial is doubly pleasing also 

 from its being associated with the name of one whom, when alive, we all so much 

 esteemed and loved, and whose memory will be venerated in all future time. With 

 my best thanks to yourself and the Council, believe me, dear Mr. President, yours 

 sincerely, Geo. Busk. — To the President of the Geological Society." 



In handing the balance of the proceeds of the Lyell Fund to Dr. Oldham, F.R.S., 

 F.G.S., for transmission to Dr. Waagen, the President said: — Dr. Oldham, — In 

 asking you to forward Dr. "W. Waagen, of Vienna, and who was lately on the Geolo- 

 gical Survey of the East Indies, the Balance of the proceeds of the Lyell Fund, I 

 perform a very pleasing duty. Dr. Waagen' s labours in India have commended 

 themselves to the Council on account of their great merit and interest, and we sincerely 

 regret that he has suffered from the climate and from overwork. His palseontological 

 work has been admirable, and his great knowledge of the Ammonitidse has enabled 

 him to arrange and identify the geological series of Cutch. His classification and his 

 careful analysis of species has placed him in a high rank amongst his fellow-labourers 

 in science ; and I trust that yon will be able to satisfy him that his English brethren 

 sympathize most thoroughly with him. 



Dr. Oldham, in reply, said : — It is. Sir, to me a source of true gratification to have 

 been able to comply with Dr. Waagen's request, and to receive on his behalf the 

 award which you have just announced ; and this because, in all probability, it has 

 fallen to me to be more intimately acquainted with Dr. Waagen than any one here 

 present, inasmuch as for some years I had the happy good fortune of his co-operation- 

 on the Geological Sui'vey of India, as an assistant, a colleague, and a friend. And it 

 will always, as it is now, be to me a pleasure to be able to bear testimony to the un^ 

 tiring devotion, zeal, and ability which he brought to his work, and to the regret 

 which we all felt when continued ill-health compelled him to resign his connexion 

 with India. I greatly regret to say that ill-health has continued, and has, in his 

 native countiy, prevented his obtaining such employment as would bring with it 

 even the poor remuneration which science commands. The award of the Geological 

 Society of London will therefore prove to him a great solace in his depression, and a 

 great stimulus to his further exertion. With your permission I will read to you a 

 few words from Dr. Waagen's letter to myself. He says he had received with 

 mingled feelings of pride and gratitude the announcement of the award. " I do not 

 know how I have deserved the high honour the Geological Society of London has in 

 mind to confer upon me. I know only that 1 have always endeavoured to do my 

 duty as long as my strength lasted, and I hope to do my duty to science again as my 

 strength returns. It will be a great inducement to me to use now so much the more 

 my utmost zeal and endeavours to show myself worthy of the high distinction I am 

 to receive at the hands of the Geological Society. I wish I were able to attend 

 personally to express before the assembly of the Coiuicil and Members of the Geolo- 

 gical Society the feelings of gratitude which have been awakened through the great 

 kindness shown to me. A jom-ney to London, however, at this time of the year, would 

 be death to me. I cannot do anything, therefore, but ask you to express, if possible, 

 my warmest thanks to the Society for the great honour they have deemed me worthy 

 to receive." 



The President then proceeded to read his Anniversary Address, in which he dwelt 

 in considerable detail upon the influence of advanced morphological and zoological 

 investigations upon our palseontological ideas and upon the geological inferences 

 founded upon them. The Address was prefaced by some obituary notices of Fellows 

 of the Society deceased during the past year, including Sir Henry James, Dr. Bryce, 

 Mr. John Leckenby, Dr. Bowerbank, Mr. E. Wood, and Mr. W. Harris. 



The ballot for the Council and Ofiicers was taken, and the following were duly 

 elected for the ensuing year: — President : H. C. Sorby, Esq., F.B.S. Vice-Fresi- 



