PROCEEDINGS OF THE PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
3 
both were of that character as monographs which per¬ 
haps put them beyond the attainments of any who had 
not devoted their attention to the particular depart¬ 
ment. He had listened to the papers with great in¬ 
terest, and he had been much gratified in seeing in the 
proceedings of the Society, as far as he could humbly 
judge of it, the true principle of scientific research—not 
speculative general views, such as principles, of which 
they had almost too many in the present day, propa¬ 
gated in the name of science and without sufficient 
verification, but the careful study in detail of the works 
of Nature, the works of God, which alone were the 
basis on which they could build in the end the highest 
realisations. In his opinion, it was very instructive to 
have these ferns compared by Dr Buchanan White, having 
the specimens before them, as it showed how an undis¬ 
ciplined eye could hardly perceive the differences, yet 
they were there, and the reward of patient study would 
make them visible. In Mr Wilson’s paper they saw 
that there was a possible application of agricultural 
value. As he pointed out, the amount of money at 
stake to the farmers was great, and it would be well 
worth their while to provide the means for any com¬ 
petent person to direct his attention to that subject 
until the cure should be found for the disease. The 
only other remark which it occurred to him to make 
was that the conditions under which time can be given 
to these scientific investigations had been differently 
conceived at different periods. At the beginning of 
modern science in this country, which might be dated 
from Lord Bacon, it would be seen by any one who 
read Bacon’s works that while his imagination placed 
before him the kind of work—on a large scale—that was 
necessary, the means he thought of were that of the 
Iloyal bounty. He addressed himself to the King, 
and the idea was that if the King would give 
his encouragement, and use his influence to obtain 
a public grant, a great deal might be done. At 
a later time we get the notion of national en¬ 
couragement of science, and he (Mr Parker) was 
afraid that in this country national encouragement 
of science was uot altogether so liberal as it was in some 
neighbouring countries. But the essential thing for the 
progress of science seemed to be that those whose minds 
were most competent for it should be placed in 
possession of sufficient leisure to pursue those detailed 
investigations. One-half of those present were perhaps 
in a better position so far as regarded leisure than the 
other, for he thought a great many ladies—although no 
doubt their duties were very arduous—could de¬ 
vote a considerable portion of their time to the 
collection and careful scrutiny of specimens; but every 
man in busy life who had to earn a subsistence, to get 
the time for this required that either he should be able 
to bring it to some application of pecuniary value to 
himself, or else that he should have some kind of endow¬ 
ment or assistance from the public. It might be from 
the nation or it might be from the local public. He 
hoped that the local public of Perth had lately been 
stirred up to manifest greater interest in these re¬ 
searches of science. The Society was providing in 
memory of Sir Thomas Moncreiffe, who was so very 
efficient and so highly respected as President, quarters 
where specimens would be better exhibited, and where 
a larger number of persons could be accommodated at 
the meetings with advantage. He hoped they would 
see with the opening of the new Museum an increase of 
interest in the subject, and possibly an increase of means 
placed at the disposal of the Society. Having been 
very remiss in his attendance as a member of the So¬ 
ciety, he was glad to take the opportunity of expressing 
his interest in its welfare, and in particular in its 
approaching development when it passed into the 
new buildings. 
December 2nd, 8 p.m. 
Dr Geikie, F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 
NEW MEMBERS. 
Dr Thom, jr., Crieff; Mr Henry Curr, Pitkellony; and 
Mr Chrystal, Perth, were elected members of the Society. 
The following papers were read:— 
1, “ Natural Rubbish Heaps.” By James Geikie, LL.D., 
F.R.S. 
In this paper. Dr Geikie gave some account of the various 
accumulations of rock-debris which are now taking place 
in this country. He described the appearance presented 
