IXX PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



British Association held at Edinburgh in 1871 and at Brighton 

 in 1872, he was elected Vice-President of the Geological Section ; 

 and most of the leading scientific societies throughout Europe 

 and America recognised his attainments by electing him an 

 Honorary Member. In 1882 the University of St. Andrews- 

 conferred on him the honorary degree of LL.D. 



As part of the results of his personal work in Italy and 

 France, he had formed two valuable geological collections, — 

 the one consisting of specimens of volcanic rock and products, 

 and the other of an instructive series of the rocks and fossils 

 of the Paris Basin. These were generously presented by him 

 to the town of Brighton, for which his strenuous efforts and 

 powerful influence had already obtained a Free Library and 

 Museum. It is understood that his magnificent collections of 

 British and foreign, recent and fossil, Bracliiopoda, have been 

 bequeathed to the nation, and will eventually be placed at South 

 Kensington. 



Dr. Davidson was elected an Honorary Member of this Society 

 in 1880. 



At the time of his decease he was in his 69th year — to most 

 men a period ere which the more active labours of life have of 

 necessity been laid aside ; but when the enormous amount of 

 work that he accomplished is taken into account, we can fully 

 realize how intense must have been his devotion to science 

 thoughout the whole course of his life, and how few and 

 short his intervals of inactivity and rest can have been. A& 

 has been written of him by Mr. W. H. Dall, a sympathetic 

 American fellow-worker, in the Geological Magazine of Sep- 

 tember last: "Seldom has fortune equipped more completely a 

 student than in his case, where more than an ordinary artistic 

 talent, a liberal education, and independent means, were joined 

 to unsurpassed devotion in the pursuit of knowledge and im- 

 partiality in the recognition of the labours of others in the 

 same field." 



The Secretary (Mr. D. A. Boyd) read the Report of the 

 Council on the business of last Session : 



Report of the Council. 



The Council beg to report that since the last Annual General 

 Meeting 20 new Members have been added to the Roll of the 

 Society ; the number at present on the Roll being 12 Honorary, 

 28 Corresponding, and 237 Ordinary Members— Total Member- 

 ship, 277. 



Among the names occurring in the obituary record is that 

 of Mr. James Napier, F.C.S., F.R.S.E., Maryfield, Bothwell. 

 Mr. Napier was admitted a member on 7th October, 1851, a few 

 months after the formation of the Society ; and during the 

 long period of his membership he always continued to take a- 

 warm interest in the Society's welfare. 



