236 BLANFORD : GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS 



for visits to the Great International Exhibition and to the museums 

 of Paris, and for excursions in the neighbourhood. 



In the first place, it is merely just to acknowledge the heartiness 

 of the reception given by the French geologists to their foreign col- 

 leagues, and the great efforts made by the Committee of Organization 

 to entertain those who attended the Congress. Amongst other enter- 

 tainments to which the members of the Congress were invited were 

 a garden party given by the President of the French Republic at the 

 Elysee, a reception by the Municipal Council of Paris at the Hotel de 

 Ville, and a banquet given by the Committee of Organization at the 

 Hotel du Palais d'Orsay, There were also evening receptions by the 

 Geological Society of France, by the President of the Congress, and by 

 Prince Roland Bonaparte. The greatest courtesy and attention was 

 shown to the members by the officers of the Congress, and especially 

 by the President, Professor Gaudry, and the General Secretary, Pro- 

 fessor Barrois. 



The meetings of the Geological Congress and of the other Con- 

 gresses, brought together on the occasion of the Centennial Exhibi- 

 tion, were held in a large building specially designed for the purpose 

 within the Exhibition grounds, and containing several spacious meet- 

 ing rooms, which, although admirably adapted for the purpose for 

 which they were planned in many respects, were unfortunately defec- 

 tive in acoustic properties, so as to render it difficult for anyone to 

 hear clearly what was said, 



The principal work of the Congress was done at meetings of the 

 Council held on most of the days already mentioned and at General 

 Meetings on the 16th, 25th, and 27th. To this work I will refer after- 

 wards, For the purpose of reading communications from various 

 geologists, the Congress was divided into four sections : — 



I. General and Structural Geology. 

 II. Stratigraphy and Palaeontology, 



III, Mineralogy and Petrography, 



IV. Applied Geology, 

 ( * ) 



