1890 - 91 .] 
Chairman's Opening Address. 
9 
His favourite departments of Science were Meteorology and more 
especially Geology, for although his first published paper was an 
essay on Comets, it is by his geological writings that he is best 
known. Our Transactions bear abundant evidence of his activity 
and industry as a geologist. In the 14th volume is to be found a 
series of papers “On the Mid-Lothian and East Lothian Coalfields,” 
which attracted much attention at the time; and in that same 
volume there are two other papers, one on the “ Depletion or Drying- 
up of the Rivers Teviot, JSTith, and Clyde,” the other on “Two Storms 
which Swept over the British Islands,” both of which events occurred 
in November 1838. In the 15th volume of our Transactions appeared 
an account of the “ Geology of Roxburghshire ; ” and in the 16th 
volume a paper “ On the Parallel Roads of Lochaber,” which is doubly 
interesting as being of a controversial nature, his antagonist being 
so redoubtable a scientific warrior as Charles Darwin, who, however, 
with the courtesy of a true knight, subsequently acknowledged him- 
self to have been worsted in the encounter. 
To the 25th volume of the Transactions , published in 1869, Milne 
Home contributed a paper “On the Origin of the Boulder Clay.” 
This subject had always a special interest for him, and a goodly 
boulder anywhere excited in him an enthusiasm which neither 
advanced age nor failing health could check. He was appointed by 
the Society Convener of the Boulder Committee which was estab- 
lished in 1871 ; and under his supervision the Committee published 
ten valuable Reports, which are contained in the Society’s Proceed- 
ings. These are only part of Mr Milne Home’s contributions to 
Science. He was the author of many other papers both within and 
without the domain of Geology, and of two books, one on the 
“Estuary of the Firth of Forth and Adjoining Districts viewed 
Geologically,” and the other on “Ancient Water-lines.” 
Mr Milne Home had within the last two years a severe and pro- 
tracted illness, which carried him off on the 19th September 1890. 
He leaves us an admirable example of what may be done for Science 
by a country gentleman possessed of means and leisure, but animated 
by the laudable ambition to extend the knowledge of his fellow- 
men. 
The Hon. Lord Lee (Robert Lee) was born in 1830, and was a 
son of the Rev. John Lee, D.D., Principal of the University of 
