The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-25 00:00:00

ROYAL INSTITUTION.

On Friday evening Sir Roderick Murchison delivered a
lecture before Lord Prudhoe, president, in the chair, and a
crowded audience, on the " Surface-accumulations of Russia
and the north of Europe, bearing especially upon the origin
and formation of erratic blocks or boulders." After some
preliminary observations on the science of geology, he said,
that the present inquiry extended only to surface geology,
which by some had been erroneously considered as the
easiest branch of the science, because it treated of those
peculiarities in the phenomena of the earth's surface which
are open to the observation. On the contrary, that portion
of the science is by far the most difficult the geologist has
to contend with. The distribution of erratic blocks or
boulders has long engaged the attention of geologists, and it
is a subject which is rendered the more interesting from the
observations of certain philosophers in the Alpine valleys,
who have assigned to them an origin very different from that
which they really possess. It has been urged that, because
similar characteristics in the striation and polish have been
remarked in the Alpine regions, the boulders which are dis-
tributed over Europe are identical with rocks examined by
the philosophers in question. But erratic blocks, together
with a portion of detritus, are found distributed over
the lower regions of Europe; and near Novogrod there
is a stone which may be traced to certain rocks in
Scandinavia. From one of these blocks the statue of
Peter the Great was formed, which may be traced to
Finland. The same phenomena observed on this side cf
the Scandinavian ridge is remarked also on the other,
and this ridge is the source of them all. To show that this is
the fact, Sir Roderick Murchison observed, that the northern
portions of rocky promontories have the surface polished,
whereas the southern side of the same rock is rough, scarped,
or terraced. This singular phenomenon is universal, and the
striation does not extend beyond the north. Yet there are
some naturalists who have endeavoured to apply to it the
glacial theory, beeause they say they arguefrom a vera causa,
and the appearances in the one case are similar to those in the
other. In answer to this, it must be remembered that glaciers
cannot descend below a certain angle of inclination ; and
Mr. Hopkins, of Cambridge, has shown that an inclination
of two degrees is the least at which it is possible for a glacier
to descend; consequently, if this theory were correct, the
Alpine masses would not only have to make their way over
a level track, but up an elevation of several hundred feet.
The lecturer then made some observations in reference to such
phenomena, on the Continent of Europe, as were produced by
the action of the sea, and said that it was necessary to ac-
count for them ly an hypothesis of submarine action. Oa
the coast of Sweden, the banks of detribes were formed by the
depositions left by mountain torrents, and on this theory
there can be no doubt about the formation and origin of the
great bouldere. Sir Roderick Murchison gives it as his opi-
nion that at a remote period, when the whole of the present
north ofEurope was a glacial region, that icebergs of vast size
were precipitated towards the south, and as the mass gradually
melted, the stones and fragments of its native rock were de-
posited and conglomerated, thus forming a mass totally
different in its structure from the rock whereon it rested. In
proceeding to the north of Sweden they become very nume-
rous, and the nearer the point from which they all radiate is
approached, the more are they multiplied. Long after the
period of these erratic blocks, those mammalia whose fossil
remains have, from time to time, been discovered, migrated
into this country, having been generated in one common
centre. Of the lost races of mammalia, one species only, the
bison, or bos aurochs, is in existence. This animal is found
in one forest only of Lithuania ; a fact which has been satis-
factorily established by Professor Owen, through the ex-
amination of an unique and splendid skeleton of one
of the present herd, which, at the request of Sir
Roderick Murchison, was sent to England by the
Emperor of Russia. Sir Roderick took this opportunity
of announcing to the British public, that having last year ex-
pressed to his Imperial Majesty the vast interest which would
be attached by Englishmen to the presence of a live specimen
of this companion of the mammoth, and other gigantie
animals now extinct, in the Zoological Gardens of London,
that Sovereign had munificently authorised Count de Kis-
sileff, the Minister of the Imperial Domains, to order the
capture of a male and female of the race, for the purpose, if
found possible, of transmitting them to the Regent's Park.
This is a remarkable instance of the friendly feelings enter-
tained by the Emperor of Russia towards this country; and
as no specimen of the boa arochs has ever been seen in
Western Europe, it is an act of splendid munificence, and
one that Englishmen know fully how to estimate.

" THE TAMING OF A SHREW."—This celebrated pro-
duction of our great national bard was played in propria
persona at the railway station, in this town, on the morn-
ing of Thursday. A lady demanded a ticket for London ;
her husband interfered and prevented the clerk giving her
one! she attempted to enter the carriage for the purpose of
going without; he caught hold of her, and would not allow
her to accomplish her desire; and then she turned round upon
him, broke her parasol upon his head, and fisticuffed him well.
At length the train started, when the rage of " Catherine "
knew no bounds; she ran towards the Leen, and would have
thrown herself into the tiny river for the purpoe of drowning
herself, but his arm again frustrated her design. Many
persons had now gathered round, who wondered much
to see a lady so misconduct herself, and wondered more to
see her husband keep his temper so well. A cab was sent
for, and " Petrucio ' exerted all his powers of persuasion to
induce his " Catherine" to enter, but instead of complying
she sat down in the middle of thel station-yard, and said,
" No, no; the more I see of yen the more I hate yolt!::
This farce continued until nearly two o'clock . " Petrucio
gave up his efforts to tame " the. st
are,wi; 'o'ilapd. had reached
when he was
the end of Carrington-street, on 1
overtaken by the self-willed daniales, w 1310 now acknowledged
that hunger had done what her lord and master could not
do. They entered the Railway Inn, and dined together,
after which we understand the ladyreturned home, and gave
up for ever the design of leaving a husband whose temper
'showed him to be eminently qualified to make her happy.
The gentlemen appeared to be a country clergyman.--Not-
tingliam;lffercwy.
THE ETON COLLEGE FESTIVAL.—On Saturday even-
ing the annual dinner of the noblemen and gentlemen who received
their education at Eton was celebrated at the Thatched Jdousg
Tavern, St. James's-street. Viscount Canning presided, and wal
supported by upwards of 70 Etoulans, including the Earl
the Hon.
Romney,
Viscount Viscount Clive, Lord Lyttelton, Viscount Evelyn, th
Smythe, M.P., the Hon. T. Cust, the Marquis Drogheda, Lord J°l
Manners, the Hon. Captain Lindsay, g, H. pope, zsq., J. x,iio7l-..
uolds, Esq., &Q. -