President's Address. 
203 
removed, the progress of geology during the last quarter- 
century gives us every reason to be hopeful. The number 
of observers has increased immensely, and is yearly on 
the increase. Geology is now taught in our schools as a 
branch of elementary education. An acquaintance with its 
leading doctrines is required in most of our professional 
examinations, and it ranks as an item in all the competitive 
trials for civil and military service. The surveys instituted 
by the different governments of Europe and the States of 
America, along with those more recently set on foot in our 
colonial possessions, must also add amazingly to our stock 
of sound and accurate knowledge, and thus it is the future 
progress of geology is rendered so hopeful and encouraging. 
It may never be the lot of our race to attain to a perfect 
history of our planet— the records of past life being so frag- 
mentary, the various formations being so denuded, disturbed, 
and altered, and so great a portion of the earth's crust being 
permanently hid from investigation by the waters of the 
ocean — but enough, we presume, remains to enable us to 
trace the great outline of such a history ; and such institu- 
tions as the Eoyal Physical Society best fulfil their functions 
when their members labour diligently within their own dis- 
tricts to observe and record — each well-established fact be- 
coming a permanent addition to the chapters of this marvel- 
lous history. There are few districts possessing so much geo- 
logical interest as Edinburgh and the adjacent counties — few 
where the physical phenomena are so varied, or where the 
producing causes and modes of operation are so apparent. 
There is none of us so restricted in this range that he may 
not contribute his mite of observation, and even should he 
fail in this, he can give at all events the hand of fellowship 
and encouragement to others. And after all, when the sub- 
stantial rewards of science are so few, it is this encourage- 
ment, this pleasurable fellowship that forms half the recom- 
pense, and he who bestows it cordially and with no niggard 
hand, is fairly entitled to take rank with the worker, and 
share in the honours of his discoveries. In this spirit then, 
let us continue to contribute to the progress of geology- 
working in the field where we can, and where we cannot, 
VOL. nr. 2 D 
