438 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [No. 4, 



tance. So lately as the time of Laplace similar difficulties had pre- 

 sented themselves, which his sagacity alone had removed. But now 

 such perfection had heen attained that as the instruments of observa- 

 tion and the method of calculation are from time to time improved, the 

 smallest variations detected in the motions of the heavenly bodies 

 are explained, and the theory of gravitation, as applicable to the 

 minutest particles of matter, fully established. He added that in 

 this new theory of the mutability of species Mr. Darwin seems to 

 have taken the first step in striking out a bold generalization. But 

 the more laborious and lengthy process of testing his law has yet to 

 be gone through, and when completed as satisfactorily as that of gra- 

 vitation, he (the Chairman) for one would believe in it as a law of 

 nature. 



With reference to remarks which fell from Mr. Blyth regarding the 

 incompleteness of the geological evidence, he recommended to his 

 notice two papers in Preiser's Magazine for June and July, by Mr. 

 William Hopkins of Cambridge, well known as a first rate mathema- 

 tician and geologist. He thought these papers were among the most 

 thoughtful and convincing replies to Mr. Darwin's whole theory that 

 he had read. 



A vote of thanks was then passed to Mr. Blanford for his lecture. 



The Librarian submitted his usual monthly Report for October last. 



Library. 

 The following books have been added to the Library since November last. 



Presented. 



Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. VI. No. 2. — By the 

 Oriental Society. 



Burges's Trans, of Surya Siddhanta. — By the Author. 



Report on the Survey operations in the Lower Provinces, for 1858-59. 

 — By the Author. 



Oriental Christian Spectator for September and October 1860. — By the 

 Editor. 



Journal of the Statistical Society of London, Vol. XXIII. Part III. — By 

 the Society. 



