482 



he was the chief editor and original projector. This Bulletin liad, for 

 its object, to give a monthly analysis or brief abstract, usually un- 

 mixed with criticism, of the contents of all new publications in every 

 department of science. The work was first carried on for a year on a 

 smaller plan, and then assumed in 1824 its enlarged and permanent 

 form, being divided into eight sections, one of which was devoted 

 to Geology, Palaeontology, and Natural History. A monthly 

 number appeared regularly, on this and each of the other seven 

 sections, the whole forming together a large octavo volume. In 

 the organization and direction of this scheme, the Editor was 

 indefatigable, and he succeeded in obtaining the co-operation 

 of a great number of the most able and eminent writers. In an- 

 nouncing the original aim and scope of the undertaking, he laid 

 stress on the difficulties under which men of science labour in pro- 

 curing intelligence of new works, written in a great variety of lan- 

 guages in different parts of the world, and frequently buried in the 

 voluminous and costly transactions of learned societies. He there- 

 fore expressed a hope that his Bulletin would serve as *' a kind of 

 telegraph" for the rapid conveyance of the earliest intelligence of 

 inventions and discoveries, so as to prevent philosophers from wast- 

 ing their time and money in slowly feeling their way to results al- 

 ready found out by others, and attaining with great labour the very 

 points from which they might have started. The Geological sec- 

 tion of the Bulletin was ably supported by MM. Boue, Brongniart, 

 and other writers, and survived the other sections for some time, 

 maintaining itself for seven years, till at length it was given up in 

 1831 for want of sufficient encouragement. 



The works of Baron Ferussac on Natural History, and especially 

 Conchology, would deserve from me a fuller notice, if they were 

 not irrelevant to the subject of this address. 



HOME GEOLOGY, 



I shall now commence my retrospect of the proceedings of the 

 Society, during the last year, by considering those papers which 

 have been devoted to the Geology of the British Isles. There is 

 probably no space on the globe, of equal area, which has been so 

 accurately surveyed as this kingdom ; yet the jnost experienced 



