148 
rRESlDENT’S ADDRESS. 
Sir Joseph Hooker, and Mr. A. li. Wallace, may with justice 
be placed in the front rank. To commence with, we must 
advance a certain number of propositions, which we may safely 
conclude hold good, if the code of natural laws has been uniformly 
in force ; and as Mr. Hilton Scribner has already in his essay 
‘ Where did Life Begin 1 ’ enunciated these with a conciseness 
which I cannot hope to better, I make no apology for quoting 
from him. 
“ First. — That life commenced on those parts of the earth which 
Avere first prepared to maintain it ; at any rate, that it never could 
have commenced elscAvhere, 
“Second. — As the Avhole earth Avas at one time too hot to 
maintain life, so those parts Avere probably first prepared to maintain 
it Avhich cooled first. 
“ Third. — That those parts Avhich received the least heat from 
the sun, and Avhich radiated heat most rapidly into space, in 
proportion to mass, and had the thinnest mass to cool, cooled first. 
“Fourth. — That those parts of the earth’s surface, and those 
only, answering to these conditions are the Arctic and Antarctic 
Zones. 
“ Fifth. — That as these Zones Avere at one time too hot, and 
certain parts thereof are noAV too cold, for such life as inhabits the 
Avarmer parts of the earth, these noAV colder parts, in passing from 
the extreme of heat to the extreme of cold, must have passed 
slowly through temperatures exactly suited to all plants and all 
animals in severalty Avhich now live or ever lived on the earth. 
“ Sixth. — If the concurrent conditions Avhich have usually 
followed lowering temperature folloAved the climatic changes in 
this case, life did commence on the earth Avithin one or both of 
certain zones surrounding the Poles, and sufficiently removed 
therefrom to receive the least amount of sunlight necessary for 
vegetal and animal life.”* 
Such reasonings and conclusions Avould, hoAvever, bo of no value 
if we admitted that, during the fcons of geologic time, the axis of 
the earth had shifted from its present position, as some geologists 
* Scribner, ‘ Where did Life begin ? ’ pp. 21, 22 (Now York, 1883). 
