The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-25
THE MISSING LINK.
Englishmen Discuss the Darwinian The
Dry at the Victoria Institute.


Dry at the Victoria Institute.
One of the largest gatherings in London,
Eng. took place at the end of July. when
the Victoria Institute held it's annual meet
ing. The president, Sir George Stokes,
Bart, F. R. s., who now fills the profess
serial chair at Cambridge University, once
held by the great Sir Isaac Newton, pre-
sided, and was supported by the new Lord
High Chancellor of England and many
other notabilities among whom was rec
ognized Professor Sayce, just returned
from Egypt. Among those unable to be
present were: His Excellency the Hon.
Mr.. Baysrd; the United States Embassa-
dor to Great Britain, whose letter ex-
pressed his very special regret; Lord Kel-
vim, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and
others. The honorary secretary, Captain
F. Petue, in reading the report of the insti-
tute-whose object it is to inves-
tigate all philosophical and scien-
tifc questions, including any alleged
to initiate against the truths of revela-
tion-referred to the value of the work
recently done. During the year the in
stitute's membership had increased to
1900 members, resident in all parts of the
world Several important subjects had
been considered, including what the
talented Professor Huxley had termed the
intrinsic weaknesses" of the natural
selection hypothesis; in connection with
which investigation showed that all
naturalists now admit that evolution as a
working hypothesis has, as yet, proved in
sufficient to account for mans place in
nature. AS regards the question of the
missing link" between man and the ape,
it has been scientifically demonstrated
that in no case has o so-called missing link
proved to be other than human being
with lesser developed brain than usual.
Among other subjects which had been
taken up during the year were the physi-
cal characteristics of the extinct peoples
of the Canary Islands, the migration of
fora and fauna, insect anatomy, illus
trated micro geographically, thes eyolu-
ton of the natural and the artificial, an
cient languages, the philosophy of Comte
and of the theosophists, also the light
thrown on the route of the Exodus by a
late survey. Among those contributing
TO the papers and discussions were Baron
son, C.M.G., FRS; Professor Cleland,
FRS; Professor Hull, FRS; James
Bateman, FRS; Professor Sollas, F. RS. !;
General Tuiloch, C.B.; t. G. Pinches, now
universally recognized as the worlds great
est Akkadian scholar, and others.
The president, Sir q. q. Stokes, Bart,
FRS, in delivering the address took for
his subject 1.-THE Perception of Light" and
the laws affecting it. He described at
length the recent discoveries carried out
by micro-photography in regard to the
mechanism of the human eye, discoveries
which had shown, as had never before
been known, the marvellous adaptability
of the parts, and among other things the
fact that in the eye of the lower animals
there were colored points present which in
man were totally absent. One fact of
special Importance was the striking evil
dences of design which forced themselves
on the mind on our gaining this addition
to our knowledge of the organ of sight,
and he pointed out that these evidences
were now so patent as to actually silence
critics.
As the president closed the address there
was a storm of applause, amid which the
Lord High Chancellor of England rose to
move a vote of thanks, and in calm, dig
nified accents pointed out the immense
value of the presidents contribution TO
Christian philosophy, and the debt due
from all right thinking men to the Victoria
Institute for its able work. To the gratif-
cation of all present the vote was seconded
by Professor Sayce, who had just returned
from his explorations in Egypt. He in
dorsed all that the Lord Chancellor had
said, and expressed his regret that his
forced absence in Egypt had prevented
him from appearing earlier in the session.