132 
JOHN PHILLIPS, F.R.S. 
various and profound, was communicated in a lucid and genial style, 
which not only rivetted tlie attention of his hearers, but imparted to 
them some of his own enthusiasm. But perhaps the greatest service 
that he rendered to geology during his residence at Oxford was the 
aid afforded by him in the foundation and arrangement of the new 
museum belonging to the University, which now contains one of the 
finest and best collection to be found in this country. From each 
University, of Dublin, Cambridge, or Oxford, he received the hon- 
orary degree either of LL.D., or D.C.L. In 1845 the WoUaston 
Medal was awarded to Professor Phillips, then at the University of 
Dublin, for the services he had rendered to geology by his various 
published works. In the years 18o9-G0 he was President of the 
Geological Society, to which during the course of his membership he 
communicated several papers ; of these perhaps the most important 
are on a group of slate rocks in Yorkshire, and on some sections of the 
strata near Oxford. He made some communications to the Royal 
Society in connection with the planet Mars, the appearances of 
which he long and carefully studied. Meteorology was also one of 
his studies at a time when it was little thought of, and during his 
residence at York a consecutive series of meteorological observations 
were made for several years. Professor Phillips was also associated 
with General Sabine in the Magnetic Survey of the British Isles, and 
with Mr. Blackwell in the enquiry into the nature of Fire-Damp in 
Coal Mines, which led to the appointment of the existing staff of 
inspectors. As Secretary to the British Association he arranged and 
edited no fewer than 27 volumes of the reports of that body of which 
he was President for the year 1864. The year after the publication 
of Dai'win's " Origin of Species," Professor Phillips wrote a work 
entitled " Life on the Earth : its Origin and Succession," in which 
he attempted to show the fallacy of Dar\dn's investigations. After 
reviewing in detail the difficulties attendant on the development of a 
higher form from a lower. Professor Phillips continues (p. 211) : — 
"If it is not possible in the existing ocean, among the innumerable 
and variable radiated, amorphozoan and foraminiferous animals, to 
construct one chain of easily graduated life, from the fertile cell to 
the prolific ovarium and digestive stomach, it must be quite vain to 
