Darwin- Wallace Celebration. 11 



explain and elucidate the theory, to point out some novel 

 applications of it, and (I hope I may add) for my attempts to 

 extend those applications, even in directions which somewhat 

 diverged from those accepted by my honoured friend and 

 teacher Charles Darwin. 



THE PRESIDENT : Before going on to present the next 

 medal I should like to call the attention of: the meeting to 

 these specimens of Berberis Daruinii which Sir Joseph 

 Hooker has kindly presented to us, a plant discovered by 

 Charles Darwin himself in South America, and named, in 

 his honour, by Sir Joseph's father, Sir "William Hooker. 



Sir Joseph Hooker, in coming forward to receive the 

 medal presented to him, was also received with great 

 enthusiasm. 



In making the presentation the President said : 



Sir JOSEPH HOOKER, It is with profound pleasure and 

 affection that we welcome to-day one of whom Mr. Darwin,. 

 50 years ago, wrote as " our best British Botanist, and 

 perhaps the best in the world," words which have only gained 

 in force in the half-century that has elapsed since they were 

 written. 



But on this occasion our minds dwell, not so much on your 

 unrivalled work as a leader of botanical science, as on your 

 close and unique relation to the Darwinian theory. It was 

 you to whom Mr. Darwin, in January 1844, first com- 

 municated his views on the question of the ' Origin of 

 Species,' when he used those famous words, " I am almost 

 convinced .... that species are not (it is like confessing'a 

 murder) immutable I " 



When fearing, in 1854, that his health might not permit 

 him to complete his work, it was you whom he chose (to 

 quote his own words) as " by far the best man to edit my 

 species volume." You were, indeed, his most intimate friend 

 during the growth of the ' Origin of Species/ as well as in 

 later years; your acute criticism and vast knowledge were 

 at every point of essential service in the development and 

 verification of the theory. 



