lii PEOCEEDINGS OE THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [May 1 89 9, 



and goodwill of Prof. David in starting this important enterprise. 

 In the second expedition. Prof. David, with his accomplished and 

 energetic wife, went out to Funafuti, and they were largely instru- 

 mental in overcoming the serious difficulties of the work. The third 

 expedition, in which the triumph of the investigation was finally 

 assured, would probahly never have been set on foot but for 

 Prof. David's indomitable perseverance, and for the tact and the 

 influence which he brought to bear on all who could aid in this 

 important undertaking. The last portion of the core obtained by 

 the Funafuti boring will probably be in this country within a few 

 days, and, from what I have seen of the other parts of the core, I am 

 convinced that its study by zoologists, botanists, and chemists will 

 result in new information being obtained concerning the origin of 

 coral-reefs — information which will prove of inestimable value to 

 the Geologist. 



[ The Council have directed the insertion in the Proceedings of 

 the following letter from Prof. David, which reached London about 

 a month after the Anniversary Meeting : — 



The University of Sydney (New South Wales), 

 February 13th, 1899. 

 Gentlemen, 



The announcement of the Award to me by you of the Bigsby Medal has 

 just come as a very pleasant surprise. I am deeply grateful to you for the honour 

 which you have done me, for I deem it a very great honour to receive from such a 

 body so handsome a recognition of my efforts as a field-geologist. 



One of the branches of my geological research specially referred to by you, in 

 connexion with this Award, is that of Glacial Action in Australia in Permo-Carboni- 

 ferous Time. In my capacity as Secretary of the Glacial Committee of the Australasian 

 Association for the Advancement of Science exceptional facilities have been afforded 

 to me for collecting and reviewing glacial evidences ; and any further addition to our 

 knowledge of these evidences which I may have been able to make, has been largely 

 due to the help of my colleagues on the Glacial Committee, and to the sympathetic 

 assistane3 of the Association. 



The excellent reception accorded by the Geological Society to my Glacial paper in 

 1897 has already proved a great encouragement to me ; and now the Award of the 

 Bigsby Medal invigorates me for fresh work, and more than ever strengthens me in 

 the resolve to try to show myself in the future not unworthy of your high trust, or 

 of this handsome gift. 



Believe me, Gentlemen, 



Yours faithfully, 



T. W. Edgewoeth David. 

 The Council 

 of the Geological Society of London.] 



