LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 27 



first importance. The large meetings and the intelligent dis- 

 cussions of the subjects corroborate this estimate. It would be 

 diflBcult now to imagine a meeting at which the communications 

 were listened to in solemn silence, and not a word of criticism 

 or corroboration was uttered. Tet for a long time in the history 

 of our Society this was the case. Now, the discussion which 

 follows each paper, besides adding greatly to the interest of the 

 meeting, is often the means of drawing oat new informatioti, and 

 it has even proved useful in correcting mistakes. It has been a 

 matter of regret to me that the valuable observations made at 

 some of our meetings on the subject under consideration were 

 not in some way recorded. No doubt the presence of a reporter 

 might liave injurious effects in different directions, it might re- 

 strain some who had something to say, and might encourage 

 otheis who ivished to say something. Sut a short and authentic 

 abstract, like that which is taken by some of our. sister societies, 

 might supply a want without developing any of the changes to 

 be avoided. 



This notice of the proceedings at our general meetings would 

 be incomplete without some reference to the exhibits which 

 generally precede the reading of the papers. During the past 

 year we have had in this way brought under our notice important 

 matters, and have had the opportunity of inspecting many 

 new, rare, or otherwise interesting objects. In looking over the 

 early records of the Society, I was not a little pleased to find 

 that exhibits were no recent innovation. At the second general 

 meeting of the Society, held on the 6th of May, 1788, when Sir 

 James (then Dr.) Smith had completed the reading of his Dis- 

 course on the rise and progress of Natural History, it is recorded 

 that Mr. rairbairn, of Chelsea Grardens, " produced a Vicia and 

 an Astragalus apparently new." Dr. Smith undertook to inves- 

 tigate their claims to novelty, and at a subsequent meeting he 

 reported that the AstragaJtis was new, and described it as A. leu- 

 cophcEus. It is in accordance, then, with the earliest traditions 

 of the Society, and I believe with its best interests, to encourage 

 exhibits, though the time devoted to them must not encroach on 

 that required for the full consideration of the memoirs that have 

 been carefully prepared for, and that must always be the principal 

 work of, the meeting. 



Another evidence of our prosperity and of our usefulness is 

 manifested in the unusual extent and importance of our publica- 

 tions. Our place in the commonwealth of science must mainly 

 depend on the value of our Journal and Transactions. The high 

 appreciation of the honour of connection with our Society by 

 men of science abroad is no doubt based upon their estimate of 

 the value of our work as testified to by our publications ; it is 

 accordingly most important that we should maintain their 

 efficiency. During the past year the Proceedings and Journals 

 of Botany and Zoology have consisted of 970 pages of letterpress 



