VJI. 



BY-PATHS IN THE DOMAIN OF BIOLOGY : 



BEING AN ADDRESS DELIVERED TO THE BIOLOGICAL 

 SECTION OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION, (GLASGOW, 

 SEPTEMBER 6TH, 1876,) AS PRESIDENT OF THE 

 SECTION. 



Introductory Remarks — On some Relations of Living Things to their 

 Environment — The Influence of Locality on Colour in Butterflies and 

 Birds — Sense-perception influenced by Colour of the Integuments — 

 Relations of Insular Plants and Insects — Rise and Progress of 

 Modern Views as to the Antiquity and Origin of Man — Indica- 

 tions of Man's extreme Antiquity — Antiquity of Intellectual Man — 

 Sculptures on Easter-Island — North American Earthworks — The Great 

 Pyramid — Conclusion. 



The range of subjects comprehended within the domain 

 of Biology is so wide, and my own acquaintance with 

 them so imperfect, that it is not in my power to lay 

 before you any general outline of the recent progress of 

 the biological sciences. Neither do I feel competent to 

 give you a summary of the present status of any one of 

 the great divisions of our science, such as Anatomy, 

 Physiology, Embryology, Histology, Classification, or 

 Evolution — Philology, Ethnology, or Prehistoric Archaeo- 

 logy ; but there are fortunately several outlying and 

 more or less neglected subjects to which I have for some 

 time had my attention directed, and which I hope will 



