Gives a referee’s report on Samuel Haughton’s paper ["Notes on physical geology, no. IV", read 4 Apr 1878; published as "Physical geology", Nature 18 (1878): 266–8]. Believes his estimate of geological time is extremely wild. The conclusion that the interval of time separating the Miocene from the present is greater than that between the commencement of the Secondary period and the Miocene "seems almost monstrous". Recommends the paper not be published in the Proceedings.

Encloses William Thomson’s report on GHD’s paper. Some of it was written in Rayleigh’s hand.

Reports on Joseph Prestwich’s paper, "On the origin of the parallel roads of Lochaber" [read 1 May 1879]. Strongly recommends that the paper be published in Philosophical Transactions [Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 170 (1880): 663–726].