Obituary — Professor Sarhness, F.R.8., F.G.S. 575 



from the great density of the atmosphere which then surrounded 

 the globe ; a density originating from the great quantity of carbonic 

 acid gas diffused through the atmosphere, and destined to support 

 that luxuriant vegetation which clothed the surface of the earth 

 during the coal era, and which is now deposited amongst the 

 strata which constitute the solid crust of the globe. This dense 

 atmosphere, from its capacity for absorbing heat, prevented, during 

 the period when the solar rays fall most obliquely on any part of 

 the earth's surface, the dissipation of that heat acquired by the 

 earth during the time when the sun's rays fall most directly, and 

 consequently prevented the occurrence of that degree of cold which 

 is so common to our present climate. By this means, most pro- 

 bably, have regions which are at present clothed with ice been 

 rendered fit for the abode of plants, which indicate a tropical 

 climate ; and to this cause may be attributed that uniform tempera- 

 ture which existed during the earlier geological epochs, and which 

 we are justified in supposing to have prevailed from the extensive 

 geographical distribution of analogous forms of extinct vegetables." 



In the same year (1843) Mr. Harkness communicated to the 

 Geological Society of London a paper, " On Changes in the Tem- 

 perature of the Earth, as a Mode of accounting for the Subsidence of 

 the Ocean, and for the consequent Formation of Sea-beaches above 

 its present Level." But it must not be supposed from this that 

 Harkness was merely a theoretical geologist; on the contrarj'-, it 

 was, as his papers testify, in the field that he excelled. Even 

 in these early years we find him in the Coal-measures exploring and 

 demonstrating with Mr. Binney the connexion between Sigillarian 

 stems and Stigmarian roots at St. Helen's; tracing reptilian foot- 

 prints in the Bunter of Cheshire, and Dumfriesshire ; working out 

 the Silurians of Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire, and describ- 

 ing fourteen species of Graptolites discovered by himself in a 

 country hitherto very little explored, and where fossils were not 

 known to exist. 



It is not surprising to find him, when a candidate for the Chair 

 of Geology in Queen's College, Cork, in 1853, supported by Prof. 

 Jamieson, Lieut.-Col. Portlock, Professor James Nicol, Hugh E. 

 Strickland, Sir H. T. de la Beche, Sir W. Jardine, Prof. Phillips, 

 Prof. Williamson, J. Beete Jukes, and many others. He was 

 appointed to succeed Professor Nicol in that year, but his duties 

 in Queen's College did not deprive geology of his active labours in 

 the field ; he simply added new explorations to his former areas, 

 and we find him at work, " On the Geology of the Dingle Pro- 

 montory, Ireland" ; "The Lignites of the Giant's Causeway" ; "The 

 Devonian Kocks around Cork"; "The Serpentines of Connemara" ; 

 " The Annelide Tracks of County Clare " ; and many other subjects 

 in connexion with Irish geology ; " On the Siluriaff Eocks of Cumber- 

 land and Westmoreland"; "The Permians of the North- West of 

 England " ; but it was especially the geology of the Lake District 

 latterly which engaged his attention. 



About 1876 the syllabus for the Queen's Colleges in Ireland was 



