The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-02-27 00:00:00

PROFESSOR HUXLEY ON "THE SEA."

Professor Huxley lectured on Monday evening in
the Foresters' Hall, Goswell-road, London, to a large
audience, composed mainly of students belonging to
St. Thomas' Charterhouse Science School—an institu-
tion devoted to the efficient training of teachers of
elementary science.

After a brief introduction by the chairman, Pro-
fessor Huxley commenced his lecture. He dwelt
primarily upon what he believed to be the im-
portance of physical science as a branch, not only of
the higher, but also ot the elementary education of
the country, urging that while it was true that the
study of the higher branches of natural science
required for its pursuits a certain maturity of
intellect and advanced knowledge, there was nothing
unfeasible in imparting even to children some of its
more elementary principles. He then launched into a
most interesting discourse on "The Sea," limiting his
attention, in accordance with his additionally expressed
design, to the distribution within it of certain ap-
parently insignificant and practically invisible crea-
tures with which he said the ocean teemed to such an
extent as to convert it into a kind of "living soul)."
These minute organisms he described as covering a
vast portion of the surface, whence as they died they
sank slowly to the bottom, bearing with them their
tiny shells or skeletons which soon became all that was
left to tell of their existence. The recent investigations
of her Majesty's ship Challenger had cast much light
upon the history of these creatures, showing that within
certain zones—between about 55 N. and 55 S.
latitude— the organisms thus being constantly precipi-
tated to the bottom of the ocean consisted almost
entirely of calcareous foraminiferous bodies, whilst
those in the northern and southern regions beyond
had been shown to be exclusively the silicious shells
of the vegetable diatomace. From the accumulation
through countless ages of these myriads of shells it
was not difficult to realise that they were gradually,
by their agglomeration, producing deposits of hard
solid matter, so that the Polar regions were becoming
gradually enveloped in a stratum of silicious or flinty
rock, forming a kind of cap on the bottom of the sea
over each end of the globe. So in the more equatorial
portions of the sea the bottom was found to con-
sist of carbonate of lime or chalk, formed in a
like manner, but from the calcareous foraminiferce
and the chalk cliffs which lined our coasts had been
shown from naicr, seopical research to be nothing other
than the deep sea deposit of an ancient world, modified
from its original ferm by the gradual agency of water
and the solvent action of the carbonic acid of the at-
mosphere. Hence these tiny creatures, insignificant
as they might appear, were the means of producing
enormous transformations throughout the surface of
the earth. Many of the results obtained from the
Challenger and other experiments and observations
were then cited more minutely in support of the idea
that these diatomaceous and foramlniferous deposits
were capable of undergoing by various natural pro-
cesses such transformations as to cause the disappear-
ance of their originally organized structure; and thus
much light might be thrown, said the lecturer,
on the problems presented by geological formations.
The older geologists had inferred from the absence
of recognisable organisms in some of the earlier
formations, that no life existed in those ages, and
it was impossible-to say with certainty whether or not
such was the case; but the whole evidence of
palmontology went to prove that the earliest forms of
life must have been vastly simpler than the fossils met
with in the earlier strata. From recent researches,
however, it had at last been found consistent to recon-
cile the theories of both biologists and geologists on
these matters, and the first gleam of this reconcile-
ment they owed to one who had only that very
morning passed away from their midst; one who
would be remembered in history as the greatest geo-
logist of his day—his old friend and master, Sir
Charles Lyell. That great philosopher had in his "Prin-
ciples of Geology" given in a charming form his interpre-
tation of these phenomena, showing the subjection of
these early rocks to the action of heat, with the con-
sequent possibility of the modification of the form of
their original constituents. Sir Charles Lyell was a,
geologist of fifty years ago, and fifty years ago the
metamorphic actions of water had been but little
studied, and no one entertained the idea that clay
could by any possibility be the result of vital action.
The lecturer then spoke in touching terms of a recent
visit which he had paid to the great man whose memory
he honoured, when he had discussed with him the
results of the Challenger expedition, and had listened
to his feeble voice and trembling lips, which had scarcely
strength to communicate to him the thoughts passing
within his truly great mind. After a few closing re-
marks on the advantageous application of the study
of natural phenomena to the exercise and development
of the faculties of reason and observation even in the
very young Professor Huxley sat down amid pro-
longed applause, having been listened to with very
marked attention.
A cordial vote of thanks was given to Professor
Huxley, and on the motion of Sir Charles Reed to Mr.
Rodgers, upon whose energetic action in support of
the institution the meeting was congratulated. In
evidence of this it may be mentioned that a chemical
laboratory, costing £250, has been lately added at his
expense, whereby instruction in experimental science
is provided for teachers seeking it. The rev, gentle-
man, in reply, spoke highly of the valuable services of
the secretary, Mr. C. Smith.