ANNIVEESAKT MEETING LYELL MEDAL. 3 7 



tion of their labours. Such assistance affords to them facilities for 

 travel or for the acquisition of books for carrying on their work. 



These are only a few of the trivial advantages ; but the liiyhest 

 of all is the sense of recognition which this Society's Award gives 

 to such solitary workers, who are often without any local support or 

 encouragement for their efforts. Mr. Edward Wilson's published 

 work dates back to 18G8, and is represented by more than 12 papers, 

 dealing mostly with the Ked Marls, Keuper and Bunter Beds, the 

 E-haetic and the Lias, one of his latest papers being on the Liassic 

 Gasteropoda, with descriptions and figures of 14 species. 



Dr. "WooDAVAED further read the following communication from 

 Mr. Wilson : — 



"Will you kindly convey to the President and Council my grateful 

 sense of the honour which they have conferred upon me ? At the 

 same time would you please express my regret at not being able 

 to be present on this occasion ? 



" Notwithstanding the progress which has been made in our know- 

 ledge of the late Palaeozoic and early Secondary Eocks, since the 

 illustrious Murchison established his Permian system, now nearly 

 fifty years ago, a great deal remains to be accomplished in this 

 special department of British geology. In several districts the 

 true ages of the ' Eed Eocks ' — whether Permian, or Trias, or 

 Carboniferous, or even Old Eed Sandstone — have yet to be deter- 

 mined. Of the many other interesting matters relating to these 

 rocks which require further elucidation, one of the most important 

 perhaps is the question of the extension of the older rocks, and in 

 particular of productive Coal-measures, beneath the newer forma- 

 tions. In the above field of Geology, then, there is scope for j)lenty 

 of good work in the future, and it is in this field that my highest 

 ambition would be to contribute some useful results." 



AWAKD OP THE LtELL MeDAL. 



In presenting the Lyell Medal to Prof. H. Alletne Nicholson, 

 M.D., P.G.S., the Peesident addressed him as follows : — 



Prof. Nicholson, — 



The Lyell Medal has been awarded to you as a mark of apprecia- 

 tion of your valuable researches among the older Palaeozoic rocks, 



