THE 



EDINBURGH NEW 



PHILOSOPHICAL JOURNAL 



Observations on Drift; on the Causes of Change in the Earth's 

 Superficial Temperature ; the Doctrine of Progression with 

 respect to Animate Beings ; Doctrine of Progression with 

 respect to Inani?nate Matter: being part of the Address 

 delivered at the Anniversary Meeting of the Geological 

 Society of London on the 26th February 1852. By Wil- 

 liam Hopkins, Esq.. President of the Society.* 



Gentlemen, — In the wide range which Geology now presents to 

 us, it has not been without some perplexity that I have determined 

 on the form of the Annual Address which I am now called upon 

 to make to you. The more frequent precedent afforded by similar 

 addresses would suggest a general analysis or review of what has 

 been done, especially in our own Society, during the past year ; 

 and this appears to me one obvious and useful object of such ad- 

 dresses. At the same time I think it right that each of your Pre- 

 sidents in succession should judge for himself as to the manner in 

 which he may best fulfil his mission, and adopt that course which 

 he may feel himself capable of rendering most subservient to the 

 progress of our science. You will recollect that during the past 

 year we have been much occupied in discussing the superficial ac- 

 cumulations now generally designated as " drift." Our Quarterly 

 Journal of the past year contains a considerable number of papers, 

 and some elaborate ones, bearing more or less immediately upon 

 it. It is a branch of our science, too, which has been making of 

 late great progress, but in which much yet remains to be done 

 before we arrive at a complete knowledge of the phenomena, and 

 those sound theoretical views which may command something like 

 unity of assent. For these reasons I have determined to make 



* Prom a copy of the Address presented by the Author. 

 VOL. LIII. NO. CV.— JULY 1852. A 



