34 



PROCEEDINGS of the geological society. 



honour which it has conferred upon me by adding my name to the 

 list of those who, in former years, have received this award. 



" If the subject of Fossil Ichthyology is not only fascinating, but 

 essential to the student interested in the great problems of Verte- 

 brate Morphology and Descent, it cannot fail also to be of import- 

 ance to the geologist, who, calling to his assistance every available 

 branch of natural knowledge, seeks to arrive at a scientific concep- 

 tion of the past history of the earth and its living inhabitants. It 

 is, therefore, very gratifying to me to receive from the Geological 

 Society of London this very unexpected token of sympathy and 

 recognition, considering that the amount of work which I have been 

 able to achieve in this field is as yet comparatively small. It will, 

 however, stimulate me to further exertions ; for the field is itself a 

 large one, and in spite of the magnificent labours of Agassiz and 

 the accumulated researches of many other writers, still affords room 

 for plenty of work.*' 



A WARD OF THE MURCHISON GEOLOGICAL FUND. 



The President next presented the balance of the proceeds of the 

 Murchison Donation Fund to Frank Rutley, Esq., F.G.S., and 

 addressed him in the following words : — 



Mr. Btjtley, — - 



For many years you have devoted your time and attention to the 

 microscopical structure of rocks and rock-forming minerals, a branch 

 of scientific research of the highest importance to the petrologist 

 and geologist ; and now that our attention is being so much drawn 

 to the structure of the metamorphie and igneous rocks, with a view 

 to a better nomenclature and a revision of old and obsolete views, 

 the Council of our Society believed that in your hands good work 

 would still be carried on ; they, therefore, have awarded to you 

 the balance of the Murchison Fund, which I have much pleasure in 

 handing to you in recognition of your past researches, the results of 

 which you have from time to time communicated to the Journal of 

 the Society. Few are more aware than myself of the interest you 

 take in this branch of study, and it affords me much gratification 

 to be the medium of conveying to you the appreciation of the Council 

 and the accompanying fund. 



Mr. Rutley, in reply, said that he felt deeply the honour thus 

 conferred upon him, which was additionally gratifying to him per- 

 sonally, as it was associated with the name of a former distinguished 

 Director-General of the Geological Survey. With regard to his own 

 special work, to which the President had alluded in such kind terms 

 of praise, he remarked that in all such work the investigator is 

 particularly liable to fall into error, and that all special microscopical 

 researches upon petrological subjects need to be constantly checked 

 by observations in the field. It was a further gratification to him 

 to receive the award of the Council, for which he wished to express 



