﻿30 
  proceedings 
  of 
  the 
  geological 
  society. 
  

  

  Award 
  of 
  the 
  "Wollaston 
  Medal. 
  

  

  In 
  presenting 
  the 
  Wollaston 
  Gold 
  Medal 
  to 
  Prof. 
  T. 
  G. 
  Bonnet, 
  

   D.Sc, 
  F.R.S., 
  the 
  President 
  addressed 
  him 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Professor 
  Bonnet, 
  — 
  

  

  A 
  Medal 
  that 
  was 
  instituted 
  to 
  promote 
  researches 
  concerning 
  

   the 
  mineral 
  structure 
  of 
  the 
  earth 
  cannot 
  be 
  more 
  appropriately 
  

   awarded 
  than 
  for 
  petrological 
  studies. 
  That 
  the 
  method 
  of 
  research 
  

   has 
  changed 
  since 
  Wollaston's 
  time 
  is 
  largely 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  improve- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  modern 
  instruments 
  ; 
  the 
  work 
  carried 
  on 
  by 
  yourself 
  and 
  

   others 
  with 
  the 
  microscope 
  is 
  in 
  direct 
  continuation 
  of 
  that 
  done 
  

   by 
  Wollaston, 
  his 
  contemporaries, 
  and 
  many 
  of 
  his 
  followers, 
  with 
  

   the 
  goniometer, 
  the 
  test-tube, 
  and 
  the 
  balance. 
  , 
  In 
  your 
  hands 
  the 
  

   microscope 
  has 
  been 
  a 
  valuable 
  adjunct 
  to 
  field-observation, 
  and 
  has 
  

   been 
  chiefly 
  applied 
  to 
  detect 
  the 
  secrets 
  of 
  those 
  rocks 
  which, 
  

   possessing 
  no 
  organic 
  remains 
  to 
  betray 
  the 
  tale 
  of 
  their 
  origin, 
  

   have 
  hitherto 
  succeeded 
  in 
  baffling 
  the 
  curiosity 
  of 
  geologists 
  as 
  to 
  

   their 
  early 
  history. 
  In 
  many 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  British 
  Isles, 
  throughout 
  

   the 
  Alps, 
  and 
  in 
  Canada, 
  especially 
  where 
  ancient 
  and 
  obscure 
  

   formations 
  presented 
  puzzles 
  yet 
  unsolved, 
  you 
  have 
  been 
  occupied 
  

   in 
  adding 
  to 
  our 
  knowledge. 
  Xor 
  has 
  your 
  attention 
  been 
  confined 
  

   to 
  Archaean 
  and 
  Plutonic 
  rocks 
  : 
  you 
  were 
  a 
  leader 
  of 
  the 
  opposition 
  

   to 
  the 
  prevalent, 
  but 
  perhaps 
  somewhat 
  exaggerated 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  

   powers 
  of 
  glacial 
  erosion, 
  and 
  you 
  have 
  applied 
  the 
  same 
  key 
  that 
  

   had 
  admitted 
  you 
  to 
  the 
  inner 
  mysteries 
  of 
  metamorphic 
  formations 
  

   to 
  unlock 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  British 
  sedimentary 
  rocks. 
  

  

  In 
  conferring 
  upon 
  you 
  the 
  chief 
  mark 
  of 
  distinction 
  in 
  its 
  gift, 
  

   the 
  Council 
  desires 
  to 
  evince 
  its 
  appreciation 
  of 
  your 
  scientific 
  

   researches, 
  and 
  the 
  Fellows 
  of 
  the 
  Society 
  will, 
  I 
  feel 
  sure, 
  heartily 
  

   endorse 
  the 
  presentation 
  of 
  the 
  Wollaston 
  Medal 
  to 
  you, 
  who 
  have 
  

   served 
  so 
  long 
  and 
  so 
  successfully 
  as 
  one 
  of 
  their 
  principal 
  officers. 
  

  

  Prof. 
  Bonnet, 
  in 
  reply, 
  said 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Mr. 
  President-, 
  — 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  difficult 
  for 
  me 
  adequately 
  to 
  express 
  my 
  gratitude 
  to 
  the 
  

   Council 
  for 
  the 
  great 
  honour 
  which 
  they 
  have 
  conferred 
  upon 
  me, 
  

   and 
  to 
  you 
  for 
  the 
  terms 
  in 
  which 
  you 
  have 
  spoken 
  of 
  my 
  work. 
  

   Of 
  this, 
  the 
  defects 
  to 
  myself 
  seem 
  more 
  conspicuous 
  than 
  the 
  merits. 
  

   I 
  can 
  only 
  plead 
  in 
  excuse 
  for 
  those, 
  that 
  my 
  work 
  has 
  been 
  carried 
  on 
  

   under 
  many 
  difficulties 
  on 
  which 
  I 
  will 
  not 
  now 
  enlarge. 
  It 
  has 
  

  

  