174 
It has been seen how the forces under consideration may 
have acted in opposite directions, and a consideration of 
recent geological phenomena shows that while large areas 
have been elevated it has not taken place steadily and un- 
interruptedly, but that there have been elevations and sub- 
sidences (or kindred phenomena) many times repeated, 
so that if we turn to the north of Europe, in Belgium, 
or to Italy, we find for a general elevation of a few 
hundred feet to have taken place since the middle of 
the tertiaries there have been subsidences and elevations of 
many thousand feet in each direction. Now, with the 
number of forces at work and the irregTilar distribution of 
land and sea, it may be said that a reversal of conditions in 
one part could not take the axis back to exactly the same 
place ; in other words, the axis might tack. 
The great changes in the tertiaries were briefly con- 
sidered, showing how much change of level has taken 
place. 
Mr. Waters said the points he wished to bring forwai'd 
are, that a change of the position of the axis would eluci- 
date many facts which have not yielded to any other 
explanation, and that a change of the position must take 
place, but that only a small amount could be directly 
proved ; but if there is a cumulative effect, then it may be 
explained, and the idea thrown out for examination by 
physicists was whether the frequent changes in direction 
which are caused by forces working in various parts of the 
world would not thus give a sufficient increase to the 
amount calculated. 
When speaking of recent papers bearing on this subject 
the author read the following foot-note ; — 
Since this paper was written, “ Le Deplacement Polaire ” 
of Dr. Jules Garret has come into my hands. This little 
work is written to demonstrate from various grounds that 
the position of the axis has changed, but without enquiring 
into the cause. The greater part of the' book is devoted to 
proving that the present distribution of land and sea can 
only be explained by such a change, and this he thinks 
