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Ordinary meeting, November 3rd, 1876
OPENING OF SESSION
1876·77.
35
simultaneous appearance of the most highly organised plants at part icular stages in th e past history of th e-globe , and the entire absence among fossil plants of any forms inte rmediate betw een existing classes or famili es. Th e facts of palreont ological botany are opposed to evolution, but they t estify to developm ent, to pr ogression from lower to high er types. The Cellular Algre prec eded the Va scular Cryptogams and the Gymno sperms of th e newer Palreozoic rocks, and th ese were speedily followed by Monocotyledons, and, at a much later period, by Dico tyl edons. But th e earli est repr esentatives of tliese vari ous sections of the vegetable kin gdom :were not generalised forms, but as hig hly organised as recent forms and in many cases mor e highly organised; and the divisi ons were as clearly bounded in th eir essential characters, and as decidedly separated from each oth er, as th ey are at the pres ent day . Development is not the pr operty of the evolutionist; indeed, th e Mosaic narrative-the oldest scheme of creation-which traces all nature to a supernatural Creator represents the operati ons of that Cr eator as having been carried out in a series of developm ents, from th e calling of matter into exist ence, through th e various stages of it s preparation for life, and on through vari ous st eps in th e org anic world, until man him self is reached. Th e real qu estion is,-Does science gi ve us any light as to hoio th is development was accomplished? I s it possible, from the record of organic life pr eserved in th e sediment ary deposits, to discover th e method or ag ent through th e action of which th e new forms appear ed on th e globe ? The rock s record the existence of the plants and animal form s; but as yet th ey have disclosed nothing whatever as to how these form s originated.
ORDINARY MEETING, W ILLIAM Chair.
CA.RnUTRE~~,
NOVEMBER SRD,
1876.
E sq., F.R.S., &c., Presid ent, in the
T he following Donations were announced ; "Recherches sur Ie terrain Cretace Superieur de l'Anglet erre et de l'Irlande," by Charles Barrois,D.Sc.; from the Author. " Report on the Invertebrat e Cretaceous and Tertiary F ossils of th e Upper Missouri Country," by F. B. Meek j fr om Dr. F. V. Hayden,
36
DONATION8.
" Monograph of th e Geometrid Moths or Phalsenidec of the United States," by A. S. Packard, Jun., M.D.; from Dr. F. V. H ayden. " On th e Occurren ce of th e Rh retic Beds in Leicest ershire," by W. J. Harrison, F. G. S. ; from the Author. " On the Triassic Strata exposed in th e Cliff-Sections near Sidmouth, " by H. J. Johnston-L avis, F. G.S.; from the Author. " Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society," Vol. xxxii., Part 3; from that Society. "Abstracts of the Proceedings of the Geological Society ," No. 822; from that Societ y. " Journal of th e Society of Ar ts," July to October, 1876 ; from that Society. " Journal of the Quekett Microscopical Club," No. 32; from that Club. "Proceedings of the W est London Scientific Association and Fi eld Club," Vol. i., Part 3; from that Associati on. "Transactions of th e Watford Na tural History Society and H ertfordshir e Field Club," Vol. L, P art 5 j from th at Society. u Pro ceedings of th e Somersetshire Archreological and Natu ral History Society," New Series, Vol. i., P art 1 ; from that Society. " P roceedings of the Sout h Wal es In stitute of Engineers," Vol. ix., No.5, and Vol. x. , No.1; from that In stitute. " Transactions of t he Royal Iri sh Academy," Vol. xxvi. (Science), Parts 1-5; from that Academy. " Proceedings of the R oyal Irish Academy," Series 2, Vol. ii., Nos. 4, 5, and 6 (Science) ; from that Academy. " Annual Report of the L eeds Philosophical and Literary Society ," for 1875-76 ; from tha t Society. " Annu al R eport of the Leeds Naturalists' Club and Scientific As sociation," for 1875-6 , and "Constitution of the Club; " from that Club. " Annual Report of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society " for 1875; from that Society. "Annual Report of the Warwickshire Natural Hist ory and Archreological Society," for 1875-6; from that Society. " Bulletin of the United States Geolog ical and Geographical Sur vey of the Territories," Vol. ii., Nos. 3 and 4; from Dr. F. V. H ayden.
DONATIONS.
37
Th e following were elected Members of th e Association :Alfr ed Craven, Esq. ; J ohn W. Meyers, E sq. j Charl es Reginald Parkes, Esq., and H. Sidney White, E sq. The President delivered the Opening Addre ss of th e Session 1876-77. ( Seepage 17.) ORDINARY MEETING, DECEMBER 1ST, 1876. WILLIAM CARRUTHERS, Esq ., F .R.S., &c., President, in the Chair. The following Donations were announced : "Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society," Vol. xxxii., Part 4; from that Society. " Abstracts of the Proc eedings of the Geological Society," No. 323 j from that Society. " List of the Geological Society." November, 1876 ; from that Society. " P roceeding s of th e Literary and Philosophical Society of Li verpool," Vol. xxx. ; from that Society. " Journal of Proceedings of the Winchester and Hampshire Scientific and Literary Society," Vol. ii., Part 2; from that Society. " Transactions of the Manchest er Geological Society," Vol. xiv., Parts 4-5 j from the Society. " Annual Report of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society" for 1875 ; from that Society. "Leicest er Town Museum-First to Fourth Reports of the Museum Committee to the Town Council" (1873-76); from that Committee. " P resident's Addresses and Reports of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society ," 1867-72 j from that Society. " Reports of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society," for 1874-5, and 1875-6; from that Society. "Transactions of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society," Part 1 (1835-38) and Part 2 (1838-41) ; from that Society. "Education and Culture: Address delivered to the Leicester Literary and ' P hilosophical Society, 1876," by the Rev. A. Mackennel , President j from that Society.
1876·77.
35
simultaneous appearance of the most highly organised plants at part icular stages in th e past history of th e-globe , and the entire absence among fossil plants of any forms inte rmediate betw een existing classes or famili es. Th e facts of palreont ological botany are opposed to evolution, but they t estify to developm ent, to pr ogression from lower to high er types. The Cellular Algre prec eded the Va scular Cryptogams and the Gymno sperms of th e newer Palreozoic rocks, and th ese were speedily followed by Monocotyledons, and, at a much later period, by Dico tyl edons. But th e earli est repr esentatives of tliese vari ous sections of the vegetable kin gdom :were not generalised forms, but as hig hly organised as recent forms and in many cases mor e highly organised; and the divisi ons were as clearly bounded in th eir essential characters, and as decidedly separated from each oth er, as th ey are at the pres ent day . Development is not the pr operty of the evolutionist; indeed, th e Mosaic narrative-the oldest scheme of creation-which traces all nature to a supernatural Creator represents the operati ons of that Cr eator as having been carried out in a series of developm ents, from th e calling of matter into exist ence, through th e various stages of it s preparation for life, and on through vari ous st eps in th e org anic world, until man him self is reached. Th e real qu estion is,-Does science gi ve us any light as to hoio th is development was accomplished? I s it possible, from the record of organic life pr eserved in th e sediment ary deposits, to discover th e method or ag ent through th e action of which th e new forms appear ed on th e globe ? The rock s record the existence of the plants and animal form s; but as yet th ey have disclosed nothing whatever as to how these form s originated.
ORDINARY MEETING, W ILLIAM Chair.
CA.RnUTRE~~,
NOVEMBER SRD,
1876.
E sq., F.R.S., &c., Presid ent, in the
T he following Donations were announced ; "Recherches sur Ie terrain Cretace Superieur de l'Anglet erre et de l'Irlande," by Charles Barrois,D.Sc.; from the Author. " Report on the Invertebrat e Cretaceous and Tertiary F ossils of th e Upper Missouri Country," by F. B. Meek j fr om Dr. F. V. Hayden,
36
DONATION8.
" Monograph of th e Geometrid Moths or Phalsenidec of the United States," by A. S. Packard, Jun., M.D.; from Dr. F. V. H ayden. " On th e Occurren ce of th e Rh retic Beds in Leicest ershire," by W. J. Harrison, F. G. S. ; from the Author. " On the Triassic Strata exposed in th e Cliff-Sections near Sidmouth, " by H. J. Johnston-L avis, F. G.S.; from the Author. " Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society," Vol. xxxii., Part 3; from that Society. "Abstracts of the Proceedings of the Geological Society ," No. 822; from that Societ y. " Journal of th e Society of Ar ts," July to October, 1876 ; from that Society. " Journal of the Quekett Microscopical Club," No. 32; from that Club. "Proceedings of the W est London Scientific Association and Fi eld Club," Vol. i., Part 3; from that Associati on. "Transactions of th e Watford Na tural History Society and H ertfordshir e Field Club," Vol. L, P art 5 j from th at Society. u Pro ceedings of th e Somersetshire Archreological and Natu ral History Society," New Series, Vol. i., P art 1 ; from that Society. " P roceedings of the Sout h Wal es In stitute of Engineers," Vol. ix., No.5, and Vol. x. , No.1; from that In stitute. " Transactions of t he Royal Iri sh Academy," Vol. xxvi. (Science), Parts 1-5; from that Academy. " Proceedings of the R oyal Irish Academy," Series 2, Vol. ii., Nos. 4, 5, and 6 (Science) ; from that Academy. " Annual Report of the L eeds Philosophical and Literary Society ," for 1875-76 ; from tha t Society. " Annu al R eport of the Leeds Naturalists' Club and Scientific As sociation," for 1875-6 , and "Constitution of the Club; " from that Club. " Annual Report of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society " for 1875; from that Society. "Annual Report of the Warwickshire Natural Hist ory and Archreological Society," for 1875-6; from that Society. " Bulletin of the United States Geolog ical and Geographical Sur vey of the Territories," Vol. ii., Nos. 3 and 4; from Dr. F. V. H ayden.
DONATIONS.
37
Th e following were elected Members of th e Association :Alfr ed Craven, Esq. ; J ohn W. Meyers, E sq. j Charl es Reginald Parkes, Esq., and H. Sidney White, E sq. The President delivered the Opening Addre ss of th e Session 1876-77. ( Seepage 17.) ORDINARY MEETING, DECEMBER 1ST, 1876. WILLIAM CARRUTHERS, Esq ., F .R.S., &c., President, in the Chair. The following Donations were announced : "Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society," Vol. xxxii., Part 4; from that Society. " Abstracts of the Proc eedings of the Geological Society," No. 323 j from that Society. " List of the Geological Society." November, 1876 ; from that Society. " P roceeding s of th e Literary and Philosophical Society of Li verpool," Vol. xxx. ; from that Society. " Journal of Proceedings of the Winchester and Hampshire Scientific and Literary Society," Vol. ii., Part 2; from that Society. " Transactions of the Manchest er Geological Society," Vol. xiv., Parts 4-5 j from the Society. " Annual Report of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society" for 1875 ; from that Society. "Leicest er Town Museum-First to Fourth Reports of the Museum Committee to the Town Council" (1873-76); from that Committee. " P resident's Addresses and Reports of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society ," 1867-72 j from that Society. " Reports of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society," for 1874-5, and 1875-6; from that Society. "Transactions of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society," Part 1 (1835-38) and Part 2 (1838-41) ; from that Society. "Education and Culture: Address delivered to the Leicester Literary and ' P hilosophical Society, 1876," by the Rev. A. Mackennel , President j from that Society.