PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. ^ 



realising the important service in averting further possible 

 disaster, which was rendered by the sound judgment and 

 skilful seamanship of Captain John King Davis. 



Scientific Work in Antarctica. — First, in regard to the 

 scientific results obtained by the late Captain R. P. Scott, 

 British Antarctic Expedition, a good summary has already 

 been published in " Nature," February 20, 1913. In refer- 

 ence to geological results, Mr. T. Griffith Taylor, the 

 geologist in charge, with Mr. Frank Debenham of Sydney 

 University, made the important discovery of the remains — 

 apparently bony plates — of what was probably a large 

 fossil fish in the black carbonaceous shales of the Beacon 

 Sandstone formation. They also discovered coal of fair 

 quality at Granite Harbour, 100 miles to the north-west of 

 their winter quarters at Cape Evans near Mount Erebus. 

 Amongst the geological specimens (of which a weight of 

 35 lbs was carried back all the way from the head of the 

 Beardmore glacier to the spot where Captain Scott and his 

 comrades eventually perished) are several well-preserved 

 remains of fossil leaves also taken from these same coal 

 measures which belong to the horizon of the Beacon Sand- 

 stone. Mr. Debenham, the only geologist who has as yet 

 seen these specimens, considers that the leaves show a 

 netted venation and probably belong either to Glossopteris, 

 Gangamopteris, or Sagenopteris. In either case these 

 leaves would suggest that the Beacon Sandstone is of 

 Gondwana age, that is from Permo-carboniferous to Upper 

 Trias. At the same time it should be mentioned that 

 Professor Lawson of Sydney University, thinks it quite 

 possible that some of the fossil wood obtained by Mr. R. E. 

 Priestley from near Mount Nansen is of newer age, being 

 probably angiospermous. At present, as far as is known, 

 the oldest angiosperms do not descend below the Cretaceous 

 horizon. 



