I904- Proceedings of Irish Societies* 131 



BELFAST NATURAL HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHICAL 



SOCIETY. 



Aprii^ 26. — W. SwANSTON, F.G.S., in the chair. There was a large 

 attendance both of the members of the Philosophical Society and the 

 Naturalists' Field Club. At the beginning of the proceedings a presen- 

 tation was made, by the joint Societies, to S. A. Stewart, F.B.S.Edin., 

 on the occasion of his election as Associate of the Linueau Society. Mr. 

 Stewart has for over fifty years been engaged in studying the botany 

 and zoology of Ulster, and his works on these subjects occupy to-day 

 the position of classics. For a long period he has acted as curator 

 of the Belfast Museum, College-square North, and under his care the 

 institution has progressed wonderfully. 



Atter complimentary speeches by the Chairman and W. J. FennEI,!,, 

 President of the Naturalists' Field Club, the following address, which 

 had been illuminated by Mr. J. Vinycomb, was read by R. M. Young : — 



" We, the President and Members of the Natural History and Philo- 

 sophical Society, and the President and Members of the Belfast Natura- 

 lists' Field Club, desire to place on record the high sense of satisfaction 

 with which we have learned that you have been elected an Associate of 

 the Linnean Society as a recognition of your long and valuable services 

 in botanical research, and we desire to congratulate you most heartily 

 on it ; and we trust that you may be long spared to wear 5'our well-won 

 honours, and to pursue the studies that have brought you such distinc- 

 tion." 



Mrs. FENNELiy, amidst applause, then presented Mr. Stewart with a 

 purse of sovereigns. 



S. A. Ste\vart, in responding, said it was with feelings of the utmost 

 gratification that he received that complimentary address and its valu- 

 able gift. His sense of its value was enhanced b3' the fact that it came 

 from the officers and members of the two societies which cultivated 

 natural science in Belfast and the North of Ireland. His election as 

 Associate of the Linnean Society came as a surprise, and he could 

 honestly say that it was the most prized of all the honours possible to 

 him. He felt that his work had, to a great extent; now been done. 

 Tate, Robinson, and many others who helped it forward, and who were 

 instrumental in establishing their Field Club, had gone. They had 

 followed Drummond, Patterson, Templeton, Thompson, and many old- 

 time worthies of the Natural History Society. The associations which 

 they founded, however, remained, and new workers had come and were 

 coming forward. He wished those workers every success, and hoped 

 that in nature studies they would enjoy the same pleasures as had re- 

 warded him. 



Complimentary speeches were delivered by John Browx, F.R.S. ; 

 \V. Gray, and Joseph Wright, F.G.S. 



