PEOCEEDINGS OF THE 



CLinnean name.) (Modern name.) 



Syngnatlnis hippocampus. Hippocampus antiquomm. 



(167-8) Two skins, about 3 and 4^ in. long, without any mark or 

 label. 



These specimens may have come from any source. Linne's 

 diagnosis of his SyngnaOnis Jiippocampus is difficult to under- 

 stand, so far as the dermal laminae and spines are concerned 

 in other respects it applies fairly well to Hippocamjpus 

 antiquorum. 



Sir Dietrich Brandis then mored : — " That the thanks of the 

 Society be given to the President for his excellent Address, 

 and that he be requested to allow it to be printed and circulated 

 amon2;st the Fellows ; " and this, having been seconded by 

 Mr. F. Du Cane Grodman, was carried unanimously. 



The Society's Grold Medal for the year was formally presented 

 to Mr. JoHi? Gilbert Baker in recognition of his important 

 contributions to Botany, and was received and duly acknowledged 

 by that gentleman. 



In making the presentation the President said : — 



" The Council have decided to award the Linnean Medal of 

 this year to John Gilbert Baker. 



" In the case of a worker who has cultivated science so 

 diligently and for so many years as our Medallist, it would be 

 impossible to enumerate all the publications by which he has 

 advanced the study and knowledge of Botany ; I must limit 

 myself to the chief of them. 



"He had barely attained the age of twenty-one when he drew up 

 an account of the flowering plants of his native county, correcting 

 and enlarging that given in Baines' ' Flora of Yorkshire.' Con- 

 tinuing these observations he brought out his well-known work, 

 ' North Yorkshire'; a work which for thoroughness and for con- 

 ciseness of expression remains unrivalled. 



" After his removal to Kew, one of the first fruits of his labours 

 was the ' Synopsis Filicum,' which appeared in 1868, and which, 

 in its second edition, is the latest exposition of the Ferns of the 

 whole world : this work, indeed, had been planned and commenced 

 by Sir William Hooker, but its completion, from page 56 to the 

 end, was entrusted to, and carried out by. Baker. The following 

 year was marked by the appearance of the first volume of 

 "Wilson Saunders's 'Eefugium Botauicum,' Baker contributing the 

 greater part of the descriptions in this series ; by the revision of 

 the genus Narcissus, which still serves as the basis of the generally 



