Vol. 50.] ANNIVERSARY MEETING LYELL MEDAL. 37 



Highland Series, it is often difficult, if not impossible, to decide 

 this very elementary point, and any kindly encouragement in such 

 work is most welcome. It is the more welcome as in this case it 

 is a recognition that my efforts so far are not entirely without 

 value. 



Award op the Lyell Medal. 



In handing the Lyell Medal (awarded to Prof. John Milne, 

 F.R.S.) to Prof. J. W. Jtjdd, F.R.S., V.P.G.S., for transmission to 

 the recipient, the President addressed him as follows : — 



Professor Jtjdd, — 



The Lyell Medal, with the sum of Forty-six Pounds, has been 

 awarded to Prof. John Milne, F.R.S., of the Imperial College of 

 Engineering, Tokio, Japan, in testimony of appreciation of his in- 

 vestigations in Seismology. It must ever be regarded as a fortunate 

 event, in the interests of science, when Prof. Milne went to reside 

 in Japan. Undoubtedly his opportunities in that oscillating region 

 have been great, but he has been fully equal to the occasion, and 

 may with justice be regarded as the founder of seismic science in 

 that country. His efforts in this direction are in part recorded in 

 the annual volumes of the Seismological Society of Japan, to which 

 he has always been one of the most important contributors. Stimu- 

 lated no doubt by this good example, the Government of Japan has 

 taken up the study of earthquakes by establishing some 700 stations 

 for observations, so that, to use Prof. Milne's own words, " pheno- 

 mena, which were formerly matters of hypothesis, are now no longer 

 unexplained." 



It is indeed the eminently practical turn given by Prof. Milne to 

 the study of earthquakes which commends his work so effectually 

 to geologists, and ever since his seismic experiments, in conjunction 

 with Mr. Gray, and the reports published by the British Association 

 on the investigation of the Earthquake Phenomena of Japan, 

 Prof. Milne has been recognized as one of the leading authorities 

 in this branch of science. Bearing in view, also, the delicate and 

 costly nature of seismological apparatus, the Council feel justified 

 in awarding a considerable sum of money, out of the Fund, to 

 accompany this Medal. 



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