ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS OP THE PRESIDENT. 59 



Institute of ]Mining Engineers gives a good account of some pecu- 

 liarities of the Tyiie Low-Main coal-seam. He died on July 21st, 

 1890. 



David Milne-Home, who died in September last, at the age of 

 eighty-five, was a eountrj' gentleman in Berwickshire, who married 

 the heiress of another extensive property, and who might, therefore, 

 have been thought likely to devote his life to country pursuits and 

 interests. Like many eldest sons of old Scottish families, he studied 

 law and was called to the bar, where he practised for some years. 

 But his large estates eventually required much of his time and per- 

 sonal supervision, and he relincjuished his legal pursuits, retaining, 

 however, his town house in Edinburgh. From an early period in his 

 life he had interested himself in geology. At the age of 32 he 

 presented to the Eoyal Society of Edinburgh a remarkably able 

 «8say on the Midlothian coal-field, which was published in that 

 Society's " Transactions,*' and has taken its place as a standard work 

 of reference for the subject of which it treats. He likewise gave a 

 geological account of lloxburghshire, and contributed an essay to 

 the voluminous literature on the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy. His 

 more recent exertions in geology had chiefly been devoted to the 

 observation and registration of boulders scattered over the surface 

 of Scotland. He was the convener of the committee appointed 

 by the Royal Society of Edinburgh to investigate this subject, and 

 himself compiled the ten Reports in which the committee gave an 

 account of its labours. He took much interest in meteorology, and 

 one of his chief occupations during the last ten or fifteen years of 

 his life was to further in every way he could devise the work and 

 usefulness of the Scottish Meteorological Society, of the Council of 

 which he was Chairman. 



Robert William Mylxe, born in 1816, was elected into this 

 Society in 1848. Himself the son of an eminent engineer, he chose 

 the calling of architect and civil engineer, and soon distinguished 

 himself by applying geological science to the practice of his profes- 

 sion. He paid special attention to the connexion between geolo- 

 gical structure and water-supply, and his position as engineer for 

 important waterworks gave him opportunities for showing the value 

 of a knowledge of the practical applications of geology. He thus 

 acquired a large practice as consulting engineer in matters relating 

 to well-sinking, the construction of reservoirs, and drainage. Though 

 he published little in the way of original scientific work, what he 



