JOURNAL OF THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE VICTORIA INSTITUTE. VOL. IX. JOURNAL OF THE TRANSACTION~ OF lht I ittoria Jnstitute, OR, Jgilosopgirnl jotid~ of @nat Jritain. EDITED BY THE HONORARY SECRETARY. VOL. IX. LONDON: (UJublisf)'tll fat tbt linstitutt) HARDWICKE & BOGUE, 192, PICCADILLY, W. 1876. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, WYlU.1' .llfD SONS, Pll11'TJl:ll8, &ll"El.T Q'V"EFlf BTllBBT, LINOOLlf'S•INN Plll:LDS, LONDON, W.C. CONTENTS OF VOL. IX. - Page PREFACE •.• xi JOURNAL OF TRANSACTIONS. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, 16TH JUNE, 1874 1 EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT 1 ANNUAL ADDRESS 15 ORDINARY MEETING, 16TH MARCH, 1874 38 ON THE HARMONY BETWEEN THE CHRONOLOGY 0~' EGYPT AND THE BIBLE. BY THE REV. B. w. SAVlLE, M.A. 38 DISCUSSION ON THE ABOVE 72 REMARKS BY S. BIRcH, EsQ., LL.D., &c. 80 REMARKS BY MR. ·w. R. CooPER 81 REV. B. W. SAVILE's REPLY TO MR. BIRcH·s REMARKS 81 REJOINDER OF MR. BIRCH 83 ORDINARY MEETING, 20TH APRIL, 1874 84 ON THE ETHICAL CONDITION OF THE EARLY SCANDINAVIAN PEOPLES. BY E. GossE, EsQ. 84 DISCUSSION ON THE ABOVE 100 Vlll CONTENTS OF VOL. IX. Page ORDINARY MEETING, 5TH JANUARY, 1874 109 ON CERTAIN MAGNITUDES IN NATURE, AND THEIR BEARINGS UPON BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION. BY REV. CANON TITCOMB llO COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE ASTRONOMER ROYAL AND OTHERS, WITH DISCUSSION ON THE ABOVE ... 127 REMARKS BY PROFESSOR CHALLIS, F.R.S. 140 ORDINARY MEETING, 4TH MAY, 1874 147 BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION IN CONNECTION WITH SCIENCE. BY REv. A. I. McCAuL, M.A. 147 DISCUSSION ON TH\; ABOVE 157 REMARKS BY PRINCIPAL J. w. DAWSON, LL.D., F.R.S. 173 THE FINAL CAUSE AS PRINCIPAL OF COGNITION AND PRINCIPAL IN NATURE. BY P:itOFESSOR G. s. MORRIS, M.A. 176 DISCUSSION ON THE ABOVE 194 ORDINARY MEETING, 7TH DECEMBER, 1874 205 ON THE BEARING OF CERTAIN PALlEONTOLOGICAL FACTS UPON THE DARWINIAN THEORY OF THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES, AND OF EVOLUTION IN GENERAL. BY PROFESSOR H. A. NICHOLSON, M.D., D.Sc., F.G.S.... 207 DISCUSSION ON THE ABOVE 231 NoTE. PROFESSOR J. W. DAWSON, F.R.S., ON SPECIES 236 ORDINARY MEETING, 4TH JANIJARY, 1875 238 THE EARLY DAWN OF CIVILIZATION, CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF ScRIPTURE.. BY J. E. HowARD, EsQ., F.R.S. (With Illus­ trations.) 239 DISCUSSION ON THE ABOVE 274 INTERMEDIATE MEETING, 18TH JANUARY, 1875 280 TNARY MEETING, 1ST FEBRUARY, 1875 281 00NTENTS OF VOL. IX. IX Page THE INDESTRUCTIBILITY OF FORCE. BY PROFESSOR T. R. BIRKS, M.A., CAMBRIDGE • . 281 DISCUSSION ON THE ABOVE 303 MEETING, 15TH FEBRUARY, 1875 317 ON MR. MILL'S ESSAYS ON THEISM. BY THE REV. PREBENDARY w. J. !RONS, D.D. ••• 318 APPENDICES (A, B, C, & D). (A.) LIST OF THE VICE-PATRONS, MEMBERS, AssoCIATES, AND HONORARY LOCAL SECRETARIES 369 (B.) L1sT OF BooKs IN THE LIBRARY .•. 421 (C.) RULES AND BYE-LAWS 427 (D.) CONTENTS OF PREVIOUS VOLUMES 459 Xl PREFACE. THE Ninth Volume of the Journal of the TransarMons of the VICTORIA INSTITUTE is now issued. It will be found to contain contributions from the Rev. Canon Birks, Pro­ fessor of Moral Philosophy at Cambridge; the Rev. J. L. Challis,F.R.S., Plumian Professor of Astronomy at Cambridge; Principal J. W. Dawson, F.R.S.; Mr. E.W. Gosse; Mr. J. E. Howard, F.R.S.; the Rev. Prebendary W. J. Irons, D.D.; Rev. A.. I. McCaul, M.A., Lecturer in Hebrew at King's College, London; Mr. G. S. Morris, Professor of Modern Languages and Literature at Michigan University; Dr. H. A.. Nicholson, Professor of Natural History at St. Andrew's University; the Rev. B. W. Savile, M.A.,-the value of whose paper is enhanced by the remarks of Dr. S. Birch, President of the Society of Biblical A.rchreology ;-the Rev. R. Thornton, D.D.; and Canon Titcomb, M.A. The increasing outside demand for the "Transactions" of the Institute may be taken as a certain indication of the esteem in which they are held as they become more known. It is gratifying to observe that some of the papers in the Journal have been translated, and that many are now used as the bases of lectures : this has begun to be the case even in India, where translations of English literature advocating XU PREl!'ACE. views tending to scepticism are becoming only too common. The welcome accorded to the " Transactions " in America is also worthy of note. The progress of the Society, due in no small degree to the great interest taken in its welfare by those who become its supporters, has been such as to encourage the hope that it may speedily be adequately powerful to undertake all it was designed to accomplish; but that this hope may be realized, it is not the less necessary that those efforts which have placed it in its present position should not be relaxed. The average· increase of Members and Associates during the past five years has been upwards of one hundred annually, and the actual number bas slightly increased each year. Such progress has greatly contributed towards making the objects of the Society more widely known, and its work more telling. F. PETRIE, Hon. Sec. and Editor. DECEMBER 31, 1875. JOURNAL OF THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE VICTORIA INSTITUTE, OR PHILOSOPHICAL - SOCIETY OF GREAT BRIT.A.IN. - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, HELD AT THE HOUSE OF THE SOCIETY OF ARTS,* MONDAY, JUNE 15TH, 1874, MR. c. BROOKE, M.D., F.R.S., P.R.M.S., IN THE CHAIR. The HONORARY SECRETARY, Capt. F. PETRIE, read the following report:- EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT of the Council of the VICTORIA JNSTITU'l'E, OR PHILOSOPHICAL SqOIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN. Progress of the Institute. 1. IN presenting the EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT, the Council desires to congratulate the members antl. associates on the general improvement that has taken place in the Society's position during the last twelve months. This improvement is mainly due to the steady support of those already associated * On account of important business, both in the House of Lords and in the House of Commons, the President and several leading Members were absent. The meeting was one of the largest yet held. VO:L, IX, , B 2 with the Society, an increased number of new members and associates; and to its greater popularity. Last ye!lr reference was made to the necessity of its supporters being raised to 500, of whom 400 should be members. This latter condition has not as yet been attained, but might be, by a slight effort on the part of the members and associates. It should be added that the increased expense for offices now renders this strength barely sufficient. 2. Three vacancies in the list of Vice-Presidents have been filled up by the election of the Rev. Principal T. P. Boultbee, LL.D. ; W. Forsyth, Esq., Q.C., LL.D., M.P.; and C. B. Radcliffe, Esq., M.D.; also two vacancies in the Council, by the election of the Rev. Principal J. Angus, M.A., D.D., and J. Bateman, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. 3. It is hoped that the Institute will ere long be in a position to set aside a sum annually, which shall be sufficient to pay a secretary, and so revive an office, the duties of which have been provisionally performed by the Honorary Secretary, sinco January, 1871. 4. The terms under which the Institute holds its present premises being unrenewable, owing to their dilapidated con­ dition, the Council is under the necessity of taking others, in selecting the position of which it will be necessary-con­ sidering the requirements of the members-to endeavour to secure offices easy of access, and near the present central position. 5. The number of societies exchanging Transactions with the Institute is increasing, and the library has received many valuable additions. It is hoped that ere long, by the aid of the members, the Institute will possess that which is much needed-a good library of reference. 6. The Council regrets to announce the decease of the following valued supporters of the Institute; first among whom should stand the name of one of its Vice-Presidents, the learned and gifted Rev. Walter Mitchell, M.A., who, from the time he delivered the inaugural address, ever sought to advance the interests of the Society, so far as it lay in his power; .A.. Gailey, Esq. (Foundation Member); Rev. G. G. P. Glossop, M.A. (Member); Admiral E. P. Halsted, R.N. (Foundation Member); T. Hunt, Esq. (Foundation Member); D. Ivall, Esq. (Foundation Associate); Rev. R. T. Lowe, M.A. (Foundation Member); Major I. P. Carruthers Wade (Member); T. Windeatt, Esq. (Associate). 7. The following is a statement of the changes which have occurred during th.e past twelve months :- 8 Life Annual Members. Associates. Members, Associates. Numbers on 1st May, 1878 ...... 27 7 245 138 Deduct deaths ... ,-- 7 2 238 186 Withdrawn ...... 5 7 233 129- Hon. For. Corre- spondents, &c. 4 2 229 127 Changes +1 -9 +8 220 135 Joined between May 1st, 1878, and June 1st, 1874 ............ 2 44 55 27 -10 264 190 ~ 37 454 Total ................... ·........ 491* Hon. Foreign Correspondents and Local Secretaries, 10. Finance. 8. The Audited Balance Sheet of the Treasurer for the year ending 31st December, 1873, is appended, showing a balance in hand of £25. lls., after the par.ment of every debt up to the last day of the year. It will be observed that the Balance Sheet has been divided into two portions, one headed " General Account," exhibiting a balance in hand of £.8. 15s. 7d.