president's address. 1337 



tion which you see upon the shelves around you, and which he is 

 still from day to day expanding and enlarging in all directions. 

 I must also remind you that he has from the time of that fire 

 never ceased to entertain the Society in a home found for it by 

 his own hospitality — first in an ofiSlce, then in a commodious 

 dwelling-house, and finally in this spacious hall, presented to the 

 Society on the occasion to which I have already referred. 



"Sir William Macleay has borne the greater part of the expenses 

 of the Society's publications, has supplied the salaries of its oflicers, 

 furnished its specialists with abundant funds for their investiga- 

 tions and their maintenance, and has equipped this establishment 

 with its fittings, furniture and apparatus for research. He has 

 moreover obtained for us the Charter under which the Society 

 reckons upon permanence, perhaps for centuries to come. In the 

 gift to the University of his magnificent collection for natural 

 history, special provision is made that the Macleay Museum shall 

 be available for all purposes of study and research to members of 

 this Society on equal terms with the members of the University. 

 Moreover in the noble foundation which he is establishing for the 

 support or assistance of real investigation and original workers in 

 Science, he has once more shown how completely he has identified 

 himself with this Society by throwing upon the Council the whole 

 and sole responsibility of selecting among duly qualified candidates 

 for his Linnean Fellowships, those who shall show and give 

 promise of the greatest aptitude and industry for their several and 

 special line of research. He has arranged to bequeath — may it 

 be long before the bequest fall due !— the sum of £35,000 for the 

 establishment of four " Linnean Fellowships " of the annual value 

 of £400 each, tenable for one year only at a time, but open to 

 renewal year after year upon satisfactory proof being given to the 

 Council that the holder has laboured during the preceding term 

 with earnestness, perseverance, and success. 



"Whether the distinction which has been recently conferred by 

 the Crown on our member is in any way due to the work which 

 he has carried on in this Society, I can only conjecture ; and there 



