Objections to the Nebulo- Geological Hypothesis. 145 
Wednesday, 2^th February 1864. — Thomas Strethill Wright, 
M.D., President, in the Chair. 
The following gentlemen were balloted for and elected Non-Resident 
Members : — George Bellairs, Esq., Crown Chamberlain and Receiver 
for Scotland, Mount Lodge, Portobello ; James Burrell, Esq., late of 
Bengal, Birnam Lodge, Trinity. 
The following communications were read : — 
I. Some Objections to the Nebula-Geological Hypothesis, as stated in 
Dr James Bain's Opening Address to the Royal Physical Society. 
By Patrick M'Farlane, Esq., Comrie. Communicated by Alex- 
ander Bryson, Esq. 
The author commenced by stating that, before entering 
on the main object of his present paper, it might be as well 
for him to mention certain peculiar circumstances in which 
the paper was brought forward before the Koyal Physical 
Society. '* \st, The author had not the honour of being a 
member of the Society ; 2d, His sentiments on certain sub- 
jects of high interest differ, and have long differed, and that 
widely, from those on the same subjects entertained, and 
that have been long entertained, so far as can be judged 
from published evidence, by the members of this Society 
generally, by its leading members especially, and more espe- 
cially still by its late excellent and erudite President, Dr 
M'Bain ; Zd, And what will seem the most peculiar of all 
these peculiar circumstances is, it is to that late President 
himself, whose views on the subject referred to are herein 
most directly controverted, that the author is indebted for 
the privilege of having this paper regularly read at this 
meeting." The author then proceeds to state 'Hhat the 
subjects referred to as in the meantime presenting so widely 
different aspects to the members of this Society (and 
seemingly to many other societies and individuals besides) 
from what they did to the author, are the age, history, 
Sind joresent condition of the stellar universe generally, and 
those of this our own world in particular. Judging of the 
former aspect from the description given in the able and 
comprehensive ' Valedictory Address' of your late President 
