ANNITERSART ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. 83 



view, restriction of aims, and petty jealousies among the workers in 

 circumscribed departments of those sciences, it may be well to 

 remember how Darwin, while engaged in the most minute and 

 detailed investigations upon barnacles, earthworms, or pigeons, upon 

 orchids, primroses, or climbing plants, could ever keep his mind 

 open to the influence of each new discovery in every branch alike 

 of geological and of biological science. 



The great principles which lie at the foundation of Modern 

 Geology and of Modern Biology are the same ; and Darwin did but 

 furnish a new testament to the old covenant already accepted by 

 geologists. Now, more than ever in the history of Natural Science, 

 is there reason for the warmest sympathy, the most thorough under- 

 standing, and the completest union in effort between the cultivators 

 of the geological and the biological sciences. It is not by petulant 

 unfaithfulness to the tried methods of those two sciences, and a 

 readiness to abandon the principles which have led us to such real 

 and important conquests for the older methods that have been so 

 often discredited and found wanting, that we can hope to advance 

 those sciences. 



Lyell once wrote to Darwin as follows : — '' I really find, when 

 bringing up my Preliminary Essays in 'Principles' to the science 

 of the present day, so far as I know it, that the great outline, and 

 even most of the details, stand so uninjured, and in many cases they 

 are so much strengthened by new discoveries, especially by yours, 

 that we may begin to hope that the great principles there insisted 

 on will stand the test of new discoveries." 



And to this Darwin replied with characteristic enthusiasm : — 



" Begin to hope 1 Why the possibility of a doubt has never 

 crossed my mind for many a day. This may be very unphiloso- 



phical, but my geological salvation is staked upon it ! It 



makes me quite indignant that you should talk of hoping^ 



Fifty years have elapsed since these words were written. How 

 infinitely more complicated seem to us the problems involved in the 

 explanation of the past by the study of the processes going on around 

 us at present, than they possibly could have done to the great 

 pioneers of the Uniformitarian doctrines ! But the reasons for 

 Lyell's hope and Darwin's confidence are still valid — nay, are stronger 

 than ever. Por does not every new discovery remove some difficulty 

 or supply fresh illustrations of these views ? May every geologist 

 to-day be endowed with a due share of LyeU's caution ! but, for my 

 own part, I see no reason why he should not also possess a full 

 portion of Darwin's faith. 



