MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. 39 
Dr. Benjamin Peach and Dr. John Horne of the Geological 
Survey, Dr. Aitken of the University Chemical Department, 
Joseph Thomson the African explorer, and John Murray of 
the “Challenger.” The rest of us were ordinary students of 
Science, and you can realise how we enjoyed and profited by 
the conversation of these senior men, how we dogged their 
steps and hung upon their every word. All who ever met 
John Murray will readily understand that in the frequent 
discussions that took place between these geologists and 
chemists, he always took a leading and forcible part—he was 
nothing if not original in his views and vigorous in his language. 
Murray’s first paper on his theory of Coral Reefs was read 
before the Royal Society of Edinburgh on 5th April, 1880, 
and was published in the Proceedings, Vol. X, p. 505. I well 
remember the occasion, and also the rehearsal which took 
__ place some days before in Sir Wyville Thomson’s house of 
—s - -— a ve SCC 
Bonsyde, when Murray read his MS. to a small but highly 
eritical audience, consisting of Sir Wyville Thomson, Sir. 
William Turner and myself. For months before I had daily 
seen Murray preparing the paper in a large room at the 
“Challenger Office,” sitting at his notes in the centre of a 
multitude of charts showing all the reefs and coral islands of 
tropical seas—some of the charts spread out on tables, others 
carpeting the floor or stacked in piles and rolls—while he 
measured and drew sections of the contours so as to see which 
reefs supported his views and which presented difficulties. 
His coral reef theory was a direct outcome of his “ Challenger ”’ 
work. The soundings had revealed the presence of volcanic 
elevations, and the distribution of the calcareous deposits 
showed how these might contribute to build up suitable plat- 
forms as the foundation of reefs which might grow to the 
surface independent of all sunken lands, such as Darwin's 
theory had required. It may be said that Murray demolished 
the supposed need of vast oceanic subsidence, which had been 
