420 Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess 
study of palaeophytology, devoting himself more particularly, as 
might have been expected, to palaeozoic botany. In this department 
of science he has contributed upwards of thirty papers — all of which 
are characterised by accurate observation and clear definition and 
description. 
One of the principal objects of his studies has been to determine 
the affinities of palaeozoic genera and species with those of existing 
forms. With this view he has described the fructification of a 
number of carboniferous ferns and lycopods, and has also given 
special attention to the arborescent lycopods of the same great 
system. Another important object he has constantly kept before 
him has been the working out of the horizontal and vertical distri- 
bution of the carboniferous plants of Britain. He has consequently 
been led to compare the plant-remains of the several British coal- 
fields with each other and with those of the coalfields of other 
countries, and has thus thrown much wished-for light on the rela- 
tive age of widely separated areas of carboniferous strata. 
Mr Kiaston’s more important papers have generally appeared in 
the Transactions of this Society. The first of the series, dealing 
wdth the fossil flora of definite areas, was his “ Report on the Fossil 
Plants collected by the Geological Survey in Eskdale and Liddes- 
dale ” {Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin., vol. xxx.), which was followed at 
intervals by papers on the “ Fossil Flora of the Radstock Series of 
the Somerset and Bristol Coalfield” {Ibid., vol. xxxiii.), “On some 
Fossil Plants from Teilia Quarry” {Ibid., vol. xxxv.), and “On 
the Fossil Flora of the Staffordshire Coalfields” {Ibid., vol. xxxv.). 
Several papers treating of the fructification of ferns have likewise 
appeared from time to time in the publications of this Society and 
the Royal Physical Society, as also in the Annals and Magazine of 
Natural History ; while the same subject has been dealt with by Mr 
Kids ton in his papers descriptive of the flora of various coalfields. 
His wide and accurate knowledge of his subject was recognised by 
the authorities of the British Museum, who requested him to pre- 
pare the Catalogue of Palaeozoic Plants in the Museum (188G). 
For the great zeal with which he has pursued his researches, and 
the extensive additions to our knowledge which have resulted from 
his labours, the Council of the Society has deemed Mr Kidston well 
worthy to receive the Heill Prize. 
The following Communications were read : — 
1. On the Submarine Cable Problem, with Electromagnetic Induction. 
By the President. 
2. Synthesis by means of Electrolysis — Part IY. Synthesis of Suberic 
