373 



the benefit of those who were as well able to find out things for themselves, 

 He was unwilling, therefore, that anyone should go away from the meeting 

 with a wrong impression. No doubt his remarks would draw from the 

 author of the paper a repudiation of any idea of underrating the work of 

 Professor Harvey, though in these days of rapid progress they were some- 

 times apt to look upon the work done half a century ago and to think how 

 incomplete it was, forgetting that the microscope in those days was not so 

 common, or so cheap, or so good as at present. The paper was a very ex- 

 cellent one. and he could certainly congratulate the Club upon having had 

 it brought before them. 



Mr. Goodwin asked if Mr. Buffham had been in the habit of cultivating 

 his a!ga3 in an aquarium, and if so whether he would say if he had found any 

 difficulty in doing so ? 



The President said that in looking over the Phycologia he noticed that 

 Harvey said he had been very successful in cultivating some marine algae in 

 closed bottles of sea water. 



Mr. Buffham said with regard to the cultivation of algae he did not think 

 it would be possible to do so successfully ; if it was it would enable them to 

 clear up many interesting points which were at present doubtful. He 

 hastened with pleasure to refer to the remarks of the President, and to say 

 that if he had said anything in any way disparagingly of Professor Harvey, 

 or which w r ould appear to convey the impression that such was the case, he 

 would carefully revise the proof of the paper and would take care that no 

 such impression remained. He scarcely thought, however, that they would 

 think him guilty of such a thing. He should only desire to speak in the 

 most unqualified terms of admiration as to the labour, care, beauty of 

 the drawings, and in every way whatever of the splendid work which he 

 was glad to say had a place in their library. He was himself, he might say, 

 only a beginner, for having determined in a desultory way some years ago 

 to try and do something in the way of marine algEe it became necessary for 

 him to obtain what information he could from books on the subject. He 

 found that the Phycologia had come into their library and he borrowed it, 

 and had done so repeatedly since ; indeed, he did not know how anyone could 

 begin without becoming acquainted with what Professor Harvey had done. 

 He soon found that Harvey had endeavoured to depict all the species then 

 known, but in the course of his own collecting he had come across specimens 

 which were not found in " Harvey," and in his desire to follow up the 

 matter he was encouraged to go on by Mr. Holmes. He then found that in 

 order to know what had been done already a great deal of research was 

 necessary, not only amongst English writers, and also those who had done 

 anything abroad; and on this point he should like to ask the President if 

 he knew of anything else done in England on the lines he had attempted to 

 follow, that of endeavouring to present those forms which had not been 

 fio-ured by Harvey ? He hoped that these observations would have the effect 

 of re-assuring the President, and that he would now be able to go home and 

 enjoy a good night's rest. 



The President said he did not at all regret the remarks he had made 



