204 Anniversary Address. 



British Sponges and Lithophytct?/ a work which may be called 

 almost unique in tliis department of British Zoology. In 1850 

 appeared, under a collected form, many of his earlier papers, 

 communicated to * Loudon's Magazine,' on the Mollusca, under 

 the title of an 'Introduction toConchology,' a work which was said 

 by his talented and lamented friend, the late Professor Edward 

 Forbes, to be worthy of equal praise as the celebrated Introduc- 

 tion of Kirby and Spence to Entomology. How little was it 

 expected that two such kindred spirits should so soon join each 

 other in another and a better world ? The last work published 

 during his life was the first volume of ' The Natural History of 

 the Eastern Borders,' comprising the botanical portion, a work 

 which he looked upon with what I may term fatherly affection, 

 and in which there is shown a more correct idea of the mind of 

 the author than in any of his other works. At the time of his 

 decease, he had just completed his ' Catalogue of the British 

 Worms,' which, I am happy to hear from our member Dr. Wm. 

 "5 \ Beard of the British Museum, will soon be in our hands, and 

 that it will bear out fully the character that was bestowed upon 

 the previous works on the Invertebrata. His contributions' to 

 the various periodicals of the day will be found in the list I have 

 appended to this address. His name as a naturalist was known 

 all over the world, where natural history was cultivated, and he 

 was elected member of many societies in Great Britain and 

 Ireland, and the University of Aberdeen conferred upon him the 

 honorary degree of LL.D., whilst at the same time his corre- 

 spondence and intercourse with foreign naturalists became widely 

 extended. Under these circumstances he laid the foundation of 

 the Ray Society, which has given to the scientific world works 

 which would have been otherwise inaccessible. Thus far I have 

 sketched, how imperfectly you must all equally feel with myself, 

 his public career as a naturalist, and I now come to that point 

 when, if I may use the term, " we claim him as our ownJ^ It was 

 during the year 1831 that he first mentioned to me the idea of 

 the formation of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. I was but 

 too happy to coincide with his views ; and having intimated to 

 a few others the design that had been formed, our first meeting 

 took place at " Tommy Grant's/' and, often as we have visited 

 the spot (and a favourite one it was to him), he would always 

 recall the merry meeting, and the happy inauguration of our 



