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hitherto attempted, even perhaps to some adjacent part of the 
Continent, which should occupy at most but three or four days, 
would probably be as successful as it would be agreeable. 
As Chairman of the Museum Committee this year, perhaps I 
may be pardoned for calling your attention to the unsatisfactory 
state of the financial position of that institution, as its interests 
are so closely connected with those of our own Society. Excluding 
one very generous gift of £20 per annum, which cannot be 
depended on in per pet no, its income from subscriptions only 
amounts to about £200 a year, although it receives annually, and 
in addition to this, £50 for the rent of a room, which had it 
received the support it deserves, would long ago have been occupied 
by the Museum itself. It has often been said, that to serve any 
really useful purpose, a provincial Museum should be, as far as 
local objects are concerned, as nearly complete as possible, and 
typical as to those of general interest. To attain this end it is 
absolutely necessary that there should be a yearly sum at the dis- 
posal of the Committee for the purchase of new specimens ; whereas 
our scanty income barely suffices to cover the ordinary expenses 
of maintenance. 
Twelve months ago, when I last had the honour of addressing 
you, want of time prevented me from making more than a passing 
allusion to the fact, that to point to the imperfection of the 
geological record is regarded by believers in evolution a sufficient 
answer to those who demand the production of what arc termed 
“missing links” between man and his supposed ancestors, as a 
condition of their acceptance of the theory of his derivative origin. 
It may be that the reason this reply is not looked on as satisfactory, 
is that those who reject it do not understand how excessively 
fragmentary is the evidence, bearing on the present controversy, 
which geology has as yet placed at our disposal. 
I called your attention last year to the fact, that although man 
must have existed for long ages, and over wide areas in Europe, 
during Palaeolithic times, of which we have abundant proof in the 
rude tools and weapons which are so frequently met with, we 
