﻿Hi PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [May I905, 



with India, and co-operated with his son, Major A. H. McMahon, in 

 a valuable account of the Geology of Gilgit, and after joining the 

 Mineralogical Society in 1882 he contributed four papers to its 

 Magazine. The first discusses the cause of a poly synthetic structure 

 in some porphyritic quartz-crystals from India ; the second describes 

 the bowenite or pseudo-jade from Afghanistan, which he shows to 

 be a true serpentine of somewhat unusual hardness, its probable 

 origin being a rather exceptional peridotite ; the third treats of the 

 microchemical analysis of rock-making minerals, giving the results 

 of his own experiences ; and the fourth deals with the optical 

 characters of the globules and sphernlites of lithium-phosphate 

 and some other salts. 



He was a frequent attendant at scientific gatherings and an 

 effective contributor to discussions, obtaining a reputation as a 

 terse, clear speaker, who never rose unless he had something 

 valuable to say. He became a Fellow of our Society in 1878, 

 served more than once on our Council, being Vice-President in 

 1895-97, and received its Lyell Medal in 1 899 ; he was President of 

 the Geologists' Association in 1894-95 and of the Geological Section 

 of the British Association at Belfast in 1902, and was elected a 

 Fellow of the Boyal Society in 1898. 



Between two and three years ago his eyesight began to fail, 

 so that he was obliged to resign, in June 1902, the Treasurership 

 of tile Mineralogical Society, to which he had been elected in the 

 previous November ; his general health then began to decline, and 

 after several months' illness he died on February 21st, 1904. But, 

 while the body was weak, the mind remained vigorous, for his last 

 scientific writing, published in the ' Geological Magazine ' for 

 November 1903, shows all his wonted grasp of his subject and 

 power of polished satire. One who has discussed with him, in the 

 field and in the study, questions more or less controversial, may be 

 allowed to add that as a worker none could be more thorough, 

 cautious, and conscientious, while as a man he wore ' the white 

 flower of a blameless life,' and combined unswerving rectitude of 

 character with a remarkable gentleness of disposition. [T. G. B.] x 



By the death of Sir Clement Le Neve Foster, Geological Science 

 has lost one of the chief authorities on, and most able exponents of, 

 its practical applications. The second son of Mr. Peter Le Neve 



1 This obihiary has, in substance, also been published in the Mineralogical 

 Magazine, vol. xiv ( 1904) pp. 56-57. 



