The PRESIDENT said he hoped Dr. Collingwood would favour the society with a defence of Agassiz' remarks,-which the latter promised to do. Mr. MORTON remarked that the lines formerly regarded as separating geological systems were gradually becoming more and more indistinct, as the result of increasing knowledge. In the British strata, the close of the Cretaceous system marks the most important break. The Permian rocks seem to pass insensibly upward into the Trias, though the absence of organic remains excludes any definite conclusion. With regard to all the other systems, there is certainly a gradual change in the prevailing species, so that although in some cases species appear to have been suddenly introduced, the general inference is, that the introduction of new species was very gradual. Hence, the difficulty geologists now find in deciding the limits of systems. In reply to a remark that few scientific men of eminence had given a distinct opinion of Darwin's work, Dr. COLLINGWOOD read an extract from the address of Sir Charles Lyell to the Geological Section of the British Association at Aberdeen, in which he spoke of Darwin's theory as throwing a flood of light upon many groups of phenomena which had not hitherto been attempted to be explained. He also exhibited specimens of Lingula from the Lower Silurian rocks, and recent Lingulæ from the modern seas, remarking that that Mollusk was a living testimony against Darwin's theory, inasmuch as it could hardly be conceived that, if natural selection had been at work for the countless ages which had passed between the lowest fossiliferous periods and the present, the Lingula should have profited so little by it as not merely to be not developed into some higher form, but to remain a Lingula in no respect superior to its Silurian ancestors. Mr. DUCKWORTH observed that starfishes were found in the Upper Silurian that exhibited no perceptible marks of difference from those existing in the present day. The Rev. J. ROBBERDS deprecated the odium theologicum being cast upon the subject. He was glad to hear the President concurred with him, for he conceived that either theory was equally compatible with the reverence due to the Almighty. THIRD ORDINARY MEETING, ROYAL INSTITUTION, 12th November, 1860. The Rev. H. H. HIGGINS, M.A., President, in the Chair. Messrs. PHILIP H. RATHBONE and CHARLES SPENCE were elected members. The PRESIDENT announced the decease of Mr. Richard Rathbone, one of the original members of the Society. Three, only, of these now remain, viz., Messrs. William Rathbone, J. Houlbrooke Smith, and Dr. Traill, of Edinburgh-the last a Corresponding Member. Dr. IнNE proposed a new mode of Shaksperian reference. Several plans had been adopted which were more or less open to objection; thus, the number of the scene was sometimes given, but scenes were occasionally very long, even as much as five or six pages. It was not practicable to use the same mode of concordance as was adopted for classic authors, namely, the number of the line, because, in dialogues, a line was not unfrequently occupied by two interlocutors, and was consequently printed sometimes as one, sometimes as two lines; besides which, prose was often interspersed with verse. Dr. Ihne thought, however, that if the number of speeches in each scene were counted, and a reference given accordingly, the difficulties which met the student of Shakspere in the ordinary concordance would be obviated. Mr. MOORE exhibited a living specimen of the Menobranchus (Necturus maculosus), a very remarkable animal from North America, whence it was brought by Mr. P. P. Carpenter of Warrington, and placed in the Free Public Museum. It belongs to the very anomalous order of Perennibranchiate Amphibia, in which the gills remain external throughout life. There are but four known genera of this very curious group, the remaining three being, the Axolotl, the Proteus, and the Siren, examples of each of which genera were exhibited by Mr. Moore, preserved in spirits. A paper was then read, of which the following is an abstract: * THE object of this communication was to give a summary of a project recently placed before the Government and commercial community of this country by Captain Richard Sprye, formerly an officer in the H. E. I. C. service. In his prefatory remarks the author observed that our most recent acquisition of territory in Burmah, or rather in Pegu, had brought us within some 250 miles of the Chinese frontier. There being no direct communication between the two countries, it became a most important question whether it would be possible and profitable to establish one. The seven most western and inland provinces of China proper are situated between about 22° and 42° north latitude, and lie far west of the extreme point to which Lord Elgin proceeded up the Yang-tse-kiang. The chief natural productions of YUN-NAN (area, 107,969 This paper has been separately published by the Author. square miles; population, 8 millions) are rice, silk, musk, various kinds of drugs and tea. Gold, copper, lead, cinnabar, and orpiment are abundant; indeed, Yun-nan excels all the other provinces in its mineral wealth. KWANGSEE (area, 78,250 square miles; population, 10 millions) produces abundance of rice, cassia, and valuable furniture-woods. Gold, silver, and quicksilver are the principal minerals. KWEICHOO (area, 64,554 square miles; population, 7 millions), yields wheat, rice, musk, tobacco, cassia, and precious timber; and lead, copper, mercury, and iron are found in its mountains. HOONAN (area, 73,000 square miles; population, 33 millions) is one of the richest provinces in the empire, and produces immense quantities of grain, principally rice. Its teas are said to be remarkably fine. Iron, lead, and coals are abundant; and the mountains produce fine cassia, and various other kinds of timber. SZE-CHUEN (area, 166,800 square miles; population, 30 millions) is the largest, and, according to Abbé Huc, the finest province in China. Its fertility is such that it is said the produce of a single harvest could not be consumed in it in ten years. Its principal productions besides grain, are indigo and various tinctorial plants, fine teas, silk, sugar, grasscloth fibre (Boehmeria nivea), and many kinds of valuable drugs. The climate of SHENSEE (population 14 millions) is too cold for rice and silk, and their place is supplied by wheat and millet. Rhubarb, musk, wax, red lead, coal, and nephrite, are the principal articles of exportation. KANSU (population, 22 millions; area, with the last, 154,000 square miles) produces wheat, barley, millet, and tobacco of very superior quality. A large traffic is carried on between this province and Tartary in hides and coarse woollen cloths. The means of reaching these seven rich and densely popu lated provinces from the Bay of Bengal is very simple. Taking Rangoon as the starting point, it is proposed to connect that port with an emporium in the north-east corner of Pegue, i.e., under the magnificent Karen Hills, at the most extreme north-eastern limit to which we can lay claim. From this emporium, which would be almost equi-distant from Rangoon and the Chinese frontier, the line of communication would pass through Burmah-Shan territory to Esmok (or Szemaou), a border town of Yun-nan, and a point at which several caravan roads converge directly from various parts of the province, and indirectly from the whole of the western half of the empire. In order to take in chief towns and our military stations, the line would proceed thus:-1st stage, Rangoon to the ancient city of Pegue-the intervening country being almost level. 2nd stage, from Pegue over flat land, across the Sittang River to Shoe-Gyen. 3rd, Shoe-Gyen up the left bank of the Sittang and Kyoukkee rivers to Baukatah, a distance of 35 miles (lat. 18° 08′ 13", lon. 96° 48′ 45′′). 4th, from Baukatah up the left bank of that river, and its tributary, the Peemabhu, to Thayet-peen-keentat (lat. 18° 21' 13", lon. 97° 02' 00"), also 35 miles. 5th, Across the water-shed between the Sittang and Youngsalen to the Kwestookee branch of the Thaiboot river, and down their right or left banks to the Youngsalen, down and across which, to Tseekameedac (lat 18° 25′ 58′′, lon. 97° 19' 00"). 6th, thence over the water-shed between the Youngsalen and the Salween to our frontier line under the Karen Hill country, where we are within reach of all the Chinese and Shan caravans which traverse the countries north-east and west of that point. Another most important and prominent feature in the project is the establishment of an electro-telegraphic communication along the whole route. The line, once brought to Esmok, could be easily carried across country to the Pearl River, and |