Yol. 55.] AJfNIYEESAEY MEETING — MFECHISON GEOLOGICAL FUND. xlv 

 AWAED OF THE MlTECHISON GEOLOGICAL FlJNI). 



In handing the Balance of the Proceeds of the IMurchison Geo- 

 logical Fund (awarded to Mr. James Bennie, of the Geological 

 Survey of Scotland) to Sir A. Geikie, D.Sc, F.E.S., for trans- 

 mission to the recipient, the Peesident addressed him in the 

 following words : — 



^o 



Sir Aechibald Geikie, — 



In handing over to you the Balance of the Proceeds of the 

 Murchison Fund for Mr. Bennie, I have the pleasure of doing 

 honour to one who has supplemented his work for the Geological 

 Survey by other labours. 



He began geological observations in 1850, while employed in a 

 Glasgow warehouse, by collecting fossils from the Lower Carbo- 

 niferous rocks of the neighbourhood, and he also examined the 

 Glacial deposits, communicating his results to the Geological Society 

 of Glasgow. 



He joined the Survey, as Fossil-Collector, in 1868, and held that 

 post until lately, when he had to retire on account of age. 



In 1873 he first discovered Holothuridae in Scottish Carboniferous 

 rocks. He found new species of Blastoidea (described by Mr. 

 R. Etheridge, Jun., and Mr. Carpenter) and also Brachiopoda ad- 

 hering to Crinoid-stems (producing pathological modifications of the 

 latter). He assisted the late H. B. Brady with specimens of Car- 

 boniferous Foraminifera, for his Monograph ; wrote a paper, jointly 

 with Mr. Kidston, for the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh, 

 ' On the Occurrence of Spores in the Carboniferous Formation of 

 Scotland ' ; and, more lately, worked with great success in the 

 collection of Arctic plants from deposits of Glacial age. 



We hope that he may still be able to continue his useful labours. 



Sir A. Geikie replied as follows : — 



Mr. Peesident, — 



Mr. Bennie has commissioned me, on his behalf, to receive this 

 Award, and to express to the Council his grateful thanks for the 

 honour that they have conferred upon him. His long life has 

 been enthusiastically devoted to geological pursuits. Before he 

 joined the Geological Survey, the scanty intervals of leisure which 

 he could snatch from the daily toil of his avocation were given 



