616 president's address. 



eral papers to the Linnean and Royal Societies; but of these doves, or rather 

 ravens, which left my ark, i had heard absolutely nothing up to the time of my 

 return; and, save for the always kind and hearty encouragement of the cele- 

 brated William [S.] MacLeay, whenever our return to Sydney took me withm 

 reach of his hospitality, 1 know not whether 1 should have had the courage to 

 continue labours which might, so far as I knew, be valueless.'' 



The "Rattlesnake" wa-s absent from England almost four years, and her 

 stay in Australian waters lasted nearly three, about eleven months of this period 

 being spent in Port Jackson. After his return to England, Huxley redeemed 

 his promise to write to W S . Macleay. His first letter is merely mentioned in 

 the "Life." But the second, dated November 9th, 1851, a long and very interest- 

 ing letter, amounting to nearly six printed pages, is given almost in full. In 

 this, he gives a detailed account of the scientific news of the day, and of his 

 own work. Of himself he says — "Had the Sydney Uijiversity been carried out 

 as originally proposed, I should certainly have become a candidate for the 

 Natural History Chair. I know no finer field for exertion for any naturalist 

 than Sydney Harbour itself. Should such a Professorship be hereafter estab- 

 lished, I trust ,'ou will jog the memory of my Australian_ friends in my belialf . 

 .... Believe me, I have not forgotten, nor ever shall forget, your kindness 

 to me at a time when a little appreciation and encouragement were more grate- 

 ful to me and of more service than they will perhaps ever be again. I have done 



my best to justify you I send copies of all the papers I have published, 



with one exception, of which I have none separate. Of the Royal Society 

 papers, I sent a double set. Will you be good enough to give one, with my 

 kind regards and remembrances to Dr. Nicholson? .... I shall be very glad 

 if you can find time to write" ["Life," Vol. i.. p. 132] . 



All that Huxley has to say about, or in his letter to, W. S. Macleay goes 

 to show that he was very favourably impressed by his friendly intercourse with 

 file Sydney naturalist; and very appreciative of the advice and help that the 

 latter was always ready to give. For it may be mentioned, that there was no 

 scientific library for the naturalist on board the ship, though Captain Stanley 

 had asked, but in vain, for some money to provide one. 



I regret that the obituary notice of W. S. Macleay in the "Reader," which, 

 I think, was Huxley's last tribute to his old friend, cannot be consulted in any cf 

 our libraries. 



• An interesting memento of Huxley's intercourse with W . S . Macleay, 

 among the relics of the latter, is a pencil-sketch of a pelagic Tunicate {Appoidi- 

 eularia), by W. S. Macleay, with the legend — "This animal, forming a link be- 

 tween Ascidia and Salpa, was found in Torres Straits by Mr. Huxley, who caught 

 it in his towing-net, swimming with the long, transparent tail." Apparently the 

 sketch was made from a specimen given to him by its captor. 



No complete narrative of the voyages of H.M.S. "Herald," employed on 

 Surveying Service in the South- Western Pacific, was pul'lished, pad it is diffi- 

 cult to follow the itinerary. But the "Herald" visited Sydney in 1858, and 

 several times before and after this year. Surgeon Rayner was interested in, and 

 collected insects and other land-animals, but he did not publish any papers. 

 After his return to England, Mr. Adam White exhil)ited portion of Dr. Kayner's 

 collection at a meeting of the Entomological Society of London, on November 

 4th, 1861 . This exhibit iiichuled specimens from Aneiteum, New Hebrides, and 



