299 
ON GEOLOGICAL CHRONOLOGY , AND THE COGENCY 
OF THE ARGUMENTS BY WHICH SOME SCIEN- 
TIFIC DOCTRINES ARE SUPPORTED. {In reply 
to Professor Huxley’s Discourse delivered at Sion College , 
on Nov. 21st, 1867.) By James Reddie, Esq., Hon. Sec.., 
Yict. Inst. 
A S this Paper comes before the Institute under somewhat 
peculiar circumstances, I beg leave to occupy your 
attention with a few words of explanation. 
So lately as a month ago it was utterly improbable that I 
should have written the first Paper of the present Session. It 
had even been settled not to commence our meetings till after 
Christmas ; and I myself suggested to the Council the desirable- 
ness of putting forward a programme of Papers entirely by 
new authors. I was therefore looking forward to a little rest, 
or the pleasure of only listening to Essays written by others. 
I shall only further premise that when I found it necessary 
unexpectedly to intrude this paper upon your notice, I begged 
for an extra night, so as to disturb our preceding arrangements 
as little as possible. I also asked for an early evening, because 
the matter that has forced me to write was one that did not 
brook delay. And I submit that if this Institute is to be of 
use with reference to those grave questions where science and 
Holy Scripture are alleged to be at issue — if, in short, the 
founding of the Victoria Institute was not a mistake — it is 
unquestionably our bounden duty to deal with the subject I 
am now about to bring before you. 
PROFESSOR HUXLEY AT SION COLLEGE. 
On 21st November Professor Huxley delivered an extempore 
Discourse in the hall of Sion College, the subject of which was 
announced in the following terms, in a printed circular issued 
