THE DARWIN CELEBRATION AT CAMBRIDGE 29 



decorated with flowers, one of which, chosen I believe at Professor 

 Bateson's suggestion, was the Myrtaceous Darwinia hooJceriana. As we 

 left the table several of us took specimens to preserve in remembrance 

 of the occasion. The speeches at the banquet were made by the Right 

 Hon. A. J. Balfour, Mr. William Erasmus Darwin (Charles Darwin's 

 oldest son), Dr. Arrhenius and Professor Poulton. The most interest- 

 ing was naturally that of Mr. Darwin, who gave his recollections of his 

 father. He said that in trying to think out his father's characteristics, 

 the one which came most prominently before his mind was his abhor- 

 rence of anything approaching oppression or cruelty, and especially of 

 slavery. Almost the only occasion when he had known him to be angry 

 was when a subject of this sort was brought before him. He also spoke 

 of the way in which Darwin treated his children, playing Avith them 

 when they were young, and later treating them with entire trust and 

 freedom. " It was rather touching to remember the tone of admiration 

 and gratitude with which he acknowledged any help which they could 

 give him." Mr. Darwin also referred to his father's modesty, and 

 could imagine him saying, with a note of deprecation in his voice, that 

 if there was to be a celebration, there could be no more fitting place 

 for it than Cambridge. 



At the close of the banquet the vice-chancellor got up, and spoke of 

 the regret which all felt at the absence of Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace. 

 It was proposed to send a telegram to him as follows : " The naturalists 

 assembled at Cambridge for the Darwin celebration, can not forget 

 your share in the great work which they are commemorating, and regret 

 your inability to be present." This was endorsed by the most tremen- 

 dous and unanimous applause; the vice-chancellor, speaking for him- 

 self, said he only regretted the word naturalists, as this might seem to 

 exclude from participation such persons as himself, who, though en- 

 gaged in other than biological work, were strongly in accord with the 

 sentiment of the telegram. 



Although Dr. Wallace could not prudently have endured the stress 

 of the celebration, in which he would have been a central figure, I may 

 be permitted to report that his health has much improved recently, and 

 when I visited him in August he was as active minded and ready to 

 discuss the celebration and other matters as one could have expected 

 had he been thirty years younger. His garden is as beautiful and full 

 of rare and interesting plants as ever, and he is collecting materials for 

 a new book. 



On the following day, June 24, the official proceedings closed with a 

 session in the senate house, at which honorary degrees were conferred 

 on a number of delegates, and the Eede Lecture, dealing with Dar- 

 win's contributions to geology, was delivered by Sir Archibald Geikie. 

 On this occasion a venerable lady was observed occupying a chair, con- 



