THE STORY OF AN ENTOMOLOGIST 



in Great Britain, and one of the oldest in the world. On Mon- 

 day night, July 15, 1912, exactly two hundred and fifty years 

 from the date of the passage of the Charter by the Great Seal, 

 Burlington House in Piccadilly, famous during the previous 

 sixty-five years for the notable social and scientific functions of 

 the Society, was brilliantly illuminated, and the delegates there 

 assembled, many of them just from their steamers and trains, 

 for the purpose of registration and for informal meeting and 

 renewal of acquaintance. 



The first formal function took place the next morning, on 

 Thursday the sixteenth, at Westminster Abbey. The heat of 

 the day was excessive. It would have been bad even in Wash- 

 ington, and in London it was overpowering. The majority of 

 the delegates wore academic dress, and the service was attended 

 by many distinguished Englishmen high in rank or in political 

 service. One of the naves of the cathedral was reserved for 

 delegates, the remainder of the space being filled by London 

 Society. Addison's superb hymn, "The Spacious Firmament on 

 High," was sung by the choir. While this hymn was un- 

 doubtedly appropriate to the occasion, I think most of the 

 American delegates smiled when the words were chanted: 



Th' unwearied sun from day to day 



Does his Creator's power display. 

 And publishes to every land 



The work of an Almighty Hand. 



The service was impressive, and most significant was the 

 short address of the Dean of Westminster, based on the pas- 

 sage, "But Truth abideth and is strong forever." He recalled 

 the perturbation that was wont to take possession of men's 

 minds during the last century with regard to discoveries made 

 in natural science — perturbation which sometimes betrayed it- 



[199] 



