Mar., 18 ( J0. congres geologique international. 
61 
I am afraid I have been tedious, but now I pass to lighter 
subjects, viz.:— 
II. The afternoon visits to places of interest, and the 
evening receptions. 
The morning meetings generally ended about 1 30. On 
Tuesday a visit was made to the British Museum, when Mr. 
Franks explained the collections of prehistoric archaeology ; 
and on Wednesday the Natural History Museum at South 
Kensington was the centre of attraction. Professor Flower, 
the director, gave a speech in English relating the history of 
the museum, and describing its contents. Thursday after¬ 
noon was devoted to excursions, of which there were three. 
One party, consisting of foreign members only, went to 
Windsor and Eton, on the invitation of the professors of 
Eton College. Another to Kew, on the invitation of the 
director, Mr. Thistleton Dyer. A third to Erithand Crayford. 
As I knew Kew very well and did not know Crayford, I 
joined the last. We had a magnificent afternoon, clear ar.d 
bright with a pleasant breeze, which was very grateful after 
the close air of London. About eighty of us, including many 
foreign members, under the direction of Messrs. Whitaker, 
Goodchild. Bernard H. Woodward, Dr. John Evans, and 
others, explored the Woolwich beds, Tlianet sands, and brick 
earth of those localities. We were joined by Mr. Spurred, 
who showed us the site of the Palseolithic implement work¬ 
shop which he had discovered at Crayford, and exhibited a 
series of flakes found there. Any number of fossil shells 
were to be found; and one of the foreign members was 
fortunate enough to discover a piece of a mammoth’s tusk, 
which he carried off in triumph. As we returned from Cray¬ 
ford the sun set in splendour ; as we entered London the 
moon rose in brilliance. Fine weather adds much to the joy 
of an excursion. 
The evening receptions were three. On Monday at the 
close of the President's address, he and Mrs. Prestwich 
welcomed the members in the Library of the University ; on 
Wednesday Dr. A. Geikie, Director General of the Geological 
Survey, received at the Geological Museum in Jermyn Street; 
and on Friday a farewell conversazione was given at the 
Geological Society’s Booms in Burlington House by the 
President,. Dr. Blanford, and Mrs. Blanford. This was 
very numerously attended, and was a very successful gathering 
for social intercourse. Also there was a good show of 
microscopic exhibits. Still the difficulty of language 
supervened here. All the tongues of the civilized world 
intermingled, and, if you shut your eyes, you might imagine 
