﻿xlviii 
  proceedings 
  op 
  the 
  geological 
  sociExr. 
  [May 
  1897, 
  

  

  continue 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  energy 
  that 
  has 
  hitherto 
  characterized 
  you 
  

   to 
  add 
  to 
  our 
  knowledge 
  of 
  those 
  special 
  branches 
  of 
  the 
  science 
  

   which 
  you 
  have 
  already 
  cultivated 
  with 
  so 
  much 
  success. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Eeid, 
  in 
  reply, 
  said 
  : 
  — 
  

   Mr. 
  President, 
  — 
  

  

  The 
  bestowal 
  of 
  this 
  Award, 
  for 
  which 
  I 
  tender 
  my 
  warmest 
  

   thanks 
  to 
  the 
  Council, 
  makes 
  me 
  feel 
  that 
  perhaps, 
  after 
  all, 
  the 
  

   results 
  of 
  my 
  work 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  so 
  valueless 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  sometimes 
  

   feared. 
  No 
  doubt, 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  magnitude 
  of 
  the 
  problems 
  

   which 
  I 
  have 
  had 
  before 
  me, 
  the 
  results 
  are 
  very 
  small 
  ; 
  and, 
  when 
  

   viewed 
  as 
  a 
  whole, 
  must 
  seem 
  disconnected. 
  I 
  may 
  say, 
  however, 
  that 
  

   the 
  published 
  observations 
  have 
  more 
  in 
  common 
  than 
  would 
  appear 
  

   at 
  first 
  sight. 
  They 
  are 
  the 
  outcome 
  of 
  a 
  continued 
  attack, 
  from 
  

   different 
  sides, 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  those 
  problems, 
  on 
  the 
  correct 
  solution 
  of 
  

   which 
  geological 
  progress 
  so 
  largely 
  depends. 
  I 
  allude 
  to 
  the 
  

   question 
  of 
  the 
  alternations 
  of 
  climate 
  which 
  have 
  taken 
  place 
  in 
  

   bygone 
  times 
  ; 
  the 
  relation 
  of 
  these 
  alternations 
  to 
  the 
  migration, 
  

   extinction, 
  and 
  variation 
  of 
  species, 
  and 
  to 
  past 
  changes 
  in 
  physical 
  

   geography 
  ; 
  and 
  lastly, 
  to 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  the 
  rapidity 
  with 
  which 
  

   such 
  changes 
  can 
  succeed 
  one 
  another. 
  In 
  short, 
  my 
  somewhat 
  

   ambitious 
  task 
  has 
  been 
  that 
  of 
  seeking 
  a 
  base-line 
  for 
  the 
  measure- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  geological 
  time. 
  

  

  Towards 
  the 
  attainment 
  of 
  this 
  end 
  I 
  have 
  made 
  but 
  sinall 
  

   progress; 
  yet, 
  while 
  following 
  unaccustomed 
  paths 
  noteworthy 
  

   facts 
  are 
  constantly 
  discovered, 
  and 
  many 
  a 
  line 
  of 
  research, 
  almost 
  

   a 
  failure 
  from 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  original 
  enquiry, 
  has 
  yet 
  

   repaid 
  the 
  time 
  and 
  labour 
  bestowed 
  upon 
  it. 
  It 
  is 
  only, 
  I 
  am 
  

   afraid, 
  on 
  such 
  minor 
  questions 
  that 
  I 
  have, 
  as 
  yet, 
  been 
  able 
  to- 
  

   throw 
  any 
  light. 
  My 
  problem 
  still 
  lies 
  before 
  me. 
  

  

  