30 



Some idea of the vast time all this must have taken may 

 be obtained when it is remembered that the more recent re- 

 mains of the polished stone age show no change at all to have 

 taken place since that era, except perhaps the deposition in 

 the ravines. This is shown by these remains being found 

 exclusively on the surface or in excavations, and also down 

 the slopes of the little valleys cut out before their time. 



In the opinion of the reader, it is difficult to escape from 

 the conclusion that considerably more than the few thousand 

 years, in which it has been supposed that the human race has 

 only been in existence, must have elapsed since the deposi- 

 tion of the bed in which the more ancient implements are 

 found. 



On Wednesday evening, 30th November, Mr. J. J. 

 Murphy, F.G.S., read a paper on "The Geographical Dis- 

 tribution of Cyclones or Revolving Storms," of which the 

 following is an abstract : — 



Cyclones appear to be formed only over tropical seas. 

 They are not formed over the land (though when once formed 

 they sweep over it), because an abundance of watery vapour 

 is needed in order to supply, by its condensation in the upper 

 regions of the atmosphere, the heat which expands the air, and 

 by so doing constitutes the motive power of the storms. 

 For a very different reason they are not formed on the 

 equator. A cyclone, or revolving storm, has its origin in the 

 meeting of two winds blowing in opposite directions, but 

 deflected by the rotation of the earth under them. This effect 

 is in opposite directions in the Northern and Southern hemi- 

 spheres. In the Northern hemisphere it causes the cyclone to 

 revolve in a direction opposite to that of the hands of a watch, 

 and in the Southern to revolve with the hands of a watch. 

 These are the directions in which the rotation of the earth 

 would appear to be, to an observer situated in space and 



