Editorial Comment. 425 
or films of such plates produce the stratified, or, rather, the 
foliated appearance of many mica-schists. He passed on to refer 
to the recently discovered fact that hornblende schist may be, 
and has been, formed in the same way from dolerite. He brought 
forward clear testimony in favOr of the opinion that a certain 
genetic development might be traced in these minerals by which 
their age may be approximately determined. It is needless to 
dwell at any length on the expression by so eminent a petrolo- 
gist of his settled belief that these crystalline rocks belong, as 
masses, to a distinct and definite early stage in the history of 
the earth, and that the conditions under which they were formed 
were different from any now existing, though it is possible they 
may be occasionally reproduced on a small scale. 
The greater part of the session on Tuesday was devoted to 
some papers on coral reefs and their mode of formation. After 
an introductory paper by Dr. Hickson, stating with great im- 
partiality the case of both sides in the controversy now prevail- 
ing, several other speakers added remarks bearing more or less 
directly on the stibject. As the whole of the discussion, and 
nearly all the special points brought forward, have been long 
before the public, it is unnecessary here to reproduce them. It 
will sufiice to say that the heresy promulgated by Mr. Murray 
in opposition to the theory of Darwin has evidently made great 
progress among geologists, and that the charge brought by the 
Duke of Argyll of a " Conspiracy of Silence" to crush the new 
docti'ine, if it ever was true, is true no longer. 
A soiree, given by the Bath and Bristol Microscopical Society, 
took place on Tuesday evening, and the concluding meeting was 
held on the afternoon of Wednesday. New Castle-on-Tyne was 
announced as the gathering place for 1889, and Leeds was chosen 
for 1890. The usual votes of thanks, and the dinner of the Red 
Lions, closed the meeting of 1888, which, though not large, was 
pleasant and successful. 
There is room for a few remarks on such gatherings as those 
of the various associations for the advancement of science now 
existing in many different countries and constantly increasing 
in number. Even during the meeting at Bath the president 
read a telegram from Sydney, Announcing the first assembly of 
the Australian Association, with 800 members. The original 
intention was to stimulate enquiry and promote intercourse 
