Ix PROCEEDINGS OE THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [May 1895, 



maps. He had, in 1881, been appointed to superintend the pub- 

 lication of the British section of the Geological Map of Europe, 

 promised by the International Geological Congress; and in 1888 

 (conjointly with Mr. J. G. Goodchild) he prepared the excellent 

 little Geological Map of Europe which accompanies the second 

 volume of Prof. Prestwich's ' Geology.' 



Thus were his services in constant demand. At one time 

 Agricultural Geology occupied a large share of his attention, and he 

 had gathered together much material bearing on the subject, with 

 the view of publishing a work on Soils in their relation to Geology. 

 Several essays dealing with these matters were printed, and perhaps 

 the most important outcome of his studies in the South-east of 

 England was his paper dealing with the connexion between the 

 parish-boundaries and the great physical features which are depen- 

 dent on the geological structure. This subject was first brought 

 before the Brighton meeting of the British Association in 1872, 

 and it there attracted considerable attention. The author showed 

 how the ancient divisions of the land were made according to the 

 water-supply, the soil, and situation ; portions of down-land being 

 taken to pasture sheep, the productive tracts for agriculture, and 

 portions of forest-land, whether wood or open glade, for swine and 

 as pasture for cattle. 



In later years Applied Geology occupied the greater part of 

 Mr. Topley's leisure hours. He had given much attention to the 

 mode of occurrence of Phosphates ; he wrote a report on the 

 geological distribution of Gold and Silver; discussed the schemes 

 for the construction of a Channel Tunnel ; and wrote concerning 

 the discovery of Coal in Kent. 



The subject of Water-supply, however, more than any other 

 engaged his mind, and it was one on which he was recognized 

 as a leading authority. The needs of Hastings, Tunbridge Wells, 

 Croydon, Birmingham, as well as of London, and many other 

 centres, large and small, were investigated and reported on by 

 him ; and during the sittings of the late Roj'al Commission on 

 Metropolitan Water-supply he gave most important evidence, besides 

 officially doing much work for the Commission in the preparation of 

 maps and sections for the Report. 



Sanitary Science was another branch of the subject to which he 

 had applied his knowledge. He assisted Sir George Buchanan, in 

 1867, in a Report on the Distribution of Phthisis as affected by 

 Dampness of Soil ; and in 1890 he was appointed chairman of 



