Clement Reid, 



IX 



in 1897 ; he also served for two terms on the Council of that Society and was 

 a Vice-President in 1913-14. He also served for two terms on the Council 

 of the Linnean Society. In 1911 he was awarded the Bolitho Gold Medal 

 of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall. He was a foundation member 

 of the Societe Beige de Geologic, de Pal^ontologie et d'Hydrologie. 



He wrote much and on many subjects, but the work with which his name 

 will be ever associated is that devoted to the Pliocene and Pleistocene 

 deposits of this and other countries, with the consequent illuminating 

 researches into the Pleistocene and later floras. For the conduct of this 

 work he was naturally fitted by a happy combination of biological and 

 geological knowledge, but, in addition to this, he displayed much fertility 

 of invention and high manipulative skill, as evidenced by his published 

 methods of extraction and preservation of plant remains from deposits of 

 varying character. 



A keen and accurate observer, he was likewise a sound reasoner, and was 

 particularly averse to drawing inferences unless he felt that they were in the 

 fullest degree justified by the facts. The foundation for much of his later 

 work was laid while surveying on the Norfolk Coast, and the results are 

 embodied in the classical memoir on ' The Geology of the Country around 

 Cromer,' published in 1882. While studying the deposits of the Cromer 

 Forest Bed Series he grasped the importance of the plants of this formation, 

 and applied himself to the study of their seeds and leaves, thus preparing 

 himself for those labours in Late Tertiary palseobotany, which he afterwards 

 carried on, at first alone and then in collaboration with his wife, with 

 eminent success. 



When engaged in this work in subsequent years he contributed largely 

 to our knowledge of the various Pliocene and Pleistocene floras of Britain, 

 and, turning his attention to the Continent, gave us, with his wife's co-opera- 

 tion, the important series of memoirs dealing with the Pliocene flora of the 

 Netherlands. In 1899 his knowledge was applied to the elucidation of the 

 flora of these islands in the work entitled ' The Origin of the British Flora.' 

 As one would naturally expect from Eeid's two -fold training as naturalist 

 and geologist, his work on the floras has been of great value both to the 

 biologist and geologist. To the latter it has not only furnished evidence for 

 a chronological sequence, but has also thrown much light on climatic changes 

 in the past. 



Reid paid much attention to the geological history of mankind, and, 

 among numerous writings on this subject, special mention may be made of 

 his important contribution on the relationship of Palaolithic Man to the 

 Great Ice Age, in the Report on the Hoxue deposits, published in the 

 ' British Association Report ' for 1896. 



As a stratigraphical geologist, his work ranged over many formations, but 

 was mainly devoted to those of late geological date. The extent of his 

 knowledge is shown by the ' General Memoir on the Pliocene Deposits of 

 Britain,' which was written by him. When preparing this work he visited. 



VOL. XG. — B. c 



