Vol.  49.]  ANNIVERSARY  ADDRESS  OE  THE  PRESIDENT.  6  J 
Devon.  Perhaps  I  may  find  time  to  expand  this  subject  a  little  and 
therewith  conclude  the  present  Address. 
Of  the  other  subjects  brought  before  the  Society  there  is  one  of 
considerable  importance  with  which  I  shall  not  venture  to  meddle, 
viz.  Vertebrate  Palaeontology.  In  this  branch  of  science  there  have 
been  between  fifty  and  sixty  papers  published  in  the  Quarterly  Journal, 
some  of  which  are  rather  short.  Messrs.  Seeley  and  Lyclekker 
have  been  the  most  prolific  authors,  although  Messrs.  Huxley,  Hulke, 
and  Smith  Woodward  have  also  contributed  valuable  papers.  It  is 
interesting  to  bear  in  mind  that  Sir  Richard  Owen  sent  his  last 
contribution  to  the  Society  in  November  1886.  The  President  on 
that  occasion  expressed  his  regret  that  the  Author,  owing  to  his 
Illness,  could  not  attend  the  Meeting,  and  thus  reply  to  criticisms  on 
the  systematic  position  of  Galesaurus  and  the  geological  age  of  the 
beds  in  which  it  occurs. 
The  subjects,  then,  for  special  consideration  on  the  present  occa¬ 
sion  include  Pleistocene ,  Tertiary ,  Cretaceous,  Jurassic ,  and  possibly 
Triassic  and  Permian  Geology. 
Pleistocene  Geology. 
Some  of  the  papers  placed  in  this  category  might  perhaps  have 
been  grouped  under  Vertebrate  Palaeontology,  such  as  that  by 
Mr.  Eisher  on  1  Elejglias  meridionalis  at  Dewlish  ’  and  a  few  others 
but  these  papers  are  certainly  required  to  illustrate  the  subject  of 
Pleistocene  Geology.  On  the  other  hand,  seeing  that  the  most 
important  factor  in  Pleistocene  Geology  was  the  Glacial  Period  or 
Great  Ice  Age,  it  will  be  convenient  to  consider  by  way  of  an 
appendix  to  this  heading  a  certain  number  of  papers  dealing  with 
the  question  of  glacial  climates,  etc.,  from  a  more  or  less  theoretical 
point  of  view. 
When  these  additions  are  made,  there  will  have  been  upwards  of 
forty  papers  on  the  subjects  now  under  consideration.  Of  these  the 
most  important,  perhaps,  was  the  memoir  by  Prof.  Prestwich  ‘  On  the 
Westleton  Beds,’  which  the  Author  found  it  convenient  to  divide 
into  three  parts.  Prof.  Prestwich  has  also  contributed  other  papers 
of  considerable  magnitude  in  connexion  with  Pleistocene  Geology. 
A  large  proportion  of  the  papers  read  by  authors  relate  to  the  South¬ 
east  and  the  South  of  England ;  and  in  the  latter  case  especially  the 
phenomena  of  districts  not  themselves  glaciated  have  received  con¬ 
siderable  attention.  Approaching  nearer  the  sources  of  glaciation, 
we  have  a  useful  paper  by  Mr.  Deeley  on  the  Pleistocene  succession 
