54 PHOCEEDINGS OF THE 



lie breathed hia last sigh. England finally became, in a sense, his 

 heir, wljen — unluckily for Sweden — his precious scientific relics 

 were gained for lier. Many are consequently the ties by which 

 the memory of Linnaeus is united with England ; tlie strongest, 

 however, is tlie Linna^an spirit, the genuine spirit of freshness 

 and enterprise, in which scientific research has continued and 

 still continues in Eiigliind. Is it not probable that this fact is 

 due, in some measure at least, to the transfer of the Linnseau 

 collections here? At any rate it was that v.hieh gave the pri- 

 mary incentive to the formation of this Society, which has now 

 tor a hundred years uninterruptedly manifested its vigorous life, 

 extending its useful activity more and more over the whole globe. 

 The precious gift of Sir James Edward Smith was, indeed, a noble 

 seed, since grown up into a strong plant, which has borne fiovvers 

 and fruits from year to year in abundance. Its vitality is a 

 guarantee that it will thrive and flourish so long as the Linnasa 

 horealis, ever green, spreads its fragrance over young and old, high 

 and low, rich and poor, in the mighty forests of the north. 



EULOGIUM ON ROBERT BROV/N". 

 By SiE Joseph Hooker, K.C.S.I., C.B., F.R.S., &c. 



Me. President, — 



The Nineteenth Century is fast waning, and as one of the 

 Fellows of this Society who can recall some years of the scientific 

 activity of its first half, you have done me the honour of asking 

 me to attempt a concise exposition of the works of a Fellow to 

 whom the title of the greatest Botanist of his age was unques- 

 tioningly conceded during the whole of the latter period. 



It is not required of me that I should dwell upon the life- 

 history and personality of Robert Brown, for these have been 

 narrated with truth and force by a loving disciple in our obituary 

 notices *. My attempt will be to give some — however inade- 

 quate — account of his investigations and discoveries, relating to 

 the morphology, classification, and distribution of plants, and 

 especially to their reproductive organs, their structure and (eco- 

 nomy — investigations which display an untiring industry, an 

 accuracy of observation and exposition, a keenness of perception, 

 together with sagacity, caution, and soundness of judgment, 



* Other reviews of Brown's life and labours will be found iu the Obituary 

 Notices of the Royal Society, in the Address of the President of that Society 

 on the occasion of Brown being the recipient of the Copley Medal ; in the 

 elogo of Von Martins, translated by Henfrey, and printed in the ' Annals and 

 Magazine of Natural History' (May 185'J); and in two articles (by myself) in 

 the ' Gardeners' Cln-onide' (for LSoS, pp. 493, 701, 732). 



