202 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



the question of Life, any more than in dealing with the 

 questions of metamorphism and crystallisation. In all its 

 phases and surroundings — in its growth, reproduction, and 

 decay — it is under the immediate operation of physical 

 laws. A little more heat or a little more cold, an excess of 

 drought or an excess of moisture, the exclusion of the air or 

 the withdrawal of the sun, are sufficient to influence, or even 

 to destroy, its existence ; and though we may never be able 

 to comprehend the origin of life, we clearly perceive that all 

 its subsequent manifestations are closely bound up in definite 

 order with the operating forces of the universe. As such, 

 the question of vital development becomes, philosophically, 

 not only a fitting subject for our research, but one whose 

 every bearing is hopefully within our determination. Im- 

 possible or not, the loftier we direct our aims, the higher at 

 all events will be our scientific efforts to attain them ; and 

 to shirk the question through fear of arousing unworthy 

 prejudices would be to belie at once our position as students 

 of nature, and subordinate that spirit of inquiry with which 

 God has endowed us to seek to comprehend His workings 

 in the wonderful world that surrounds us. 



Such, gentlemen, are some of the points in geological in- 

 quiry that appear to me to be worthy of your attention. Had 

 the time permitted, we might have adverted to the opposing 

 theories of upheaval or accumulation in volcanic action as an 

 important element in geological chronology ; to the present 

 unsatisfactory state of palaeontology as regards nomenclature, 

 unnecessary multiplication of species, and in particular as 

 regards the neglect of fossil botany ; to the doctrine of uni- 

 formity in natural law as sufficient to account for the pheno- 

 mena of the past ; to the question of surface-configuration 

 as arising from meteoric and aqueous operations, or from 

 glacial action ; the law which seems to regulate the recur- 

 rence of colder and warmer climates over the same latitudes, 

 and to several other questions that still continue as moot 

 points among geologists ; — but enough, I presume, has been 

 said to show that our science, notwithstanding all its pro- 

 gress, has yet many problems to solve and difficulties to 

 remove. That many of these difficulties will speedily be 



