GLACIAL EPOCH UPON THE EARLY HISTORY OF MANKIND. 67 
Discussion. 
Professor Hull desired to be allowed to move the thanks of 
the meeting to Dr. Frederick Wright for his remarkable and very 
able paper to which they had just listened. It was of special 
interest to have amongst us a recognised leading geologist from the 
other side of the Atlantic ; and he (the speaker) had to confess that 
when the title of the paper was placed in his hands as Secretary, he 
felt very curious to find whether the author would be able to bring 
into closer proximity than is generally allowed these two great events 
— namely, the appearance of Man, and the disappearance of the 
Glacial Epoch. After listening to the evidence adduced, he felt free 
to admit that the author had succeeded in doing so to a large extent. 
He thought that Dr. Wright’s paper would help to forward the view 
that the lapse of time since the close of the “ great Ice Age ” was 
shorter than some geologists had supposed — notwithstanding the 
great physical changes which had taken place in the earth-history of 
post-Tertiary times. The uniformitarian theory would have to be 
abandoned, notwithstanding the distinguished names by which it 
has been advocated. In opposition to this theory it was equally 
arguable, that the geological history was one of alternating 
paroxysms and repose ; in the latter of which, we, as human beings, 
have, by the foresight of an over-ruling Providence, had our lot cast 
— after the paroxysmal epoch of Pliocene times — when stupendous 
earth-movements had their sway both over continents and oceans. 
He begged to move the best thanks to the author. 
Professor Langhorne Orchard, M.A.— It gives me much 
pleasure to second the vote of thanks, so felicitously proposed by 
Professor Hull, to the author of one of the most valuable papers 
brought before this Society. The reasoning is clear, crisp, 
convincing, and it is no small advantage to students of the subject 
to listen to the careful conclusions of a geologist who is easily 
among the leaders in his profession. 
One of the earliest allusions in the paper is to the important work 
done by Lor ivelvin in fixing the time-limit of terrestrial life. 
