LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 67 



in 1847, but withdrawn and not published till 1851, and is of 

 first-rate importance as proving the Lycopodiaceous nature of 

 Lepidodendron. He was at first disposed to regard Trlplospoi'ltes 

 as a genus, but afterwards with due reservation withdrew it. 



For a list of Brown's minor labours, I must refer to the reprint 

 of his works by Mr. Bennett in the volumes of the Eay Society. 

 They are chiefly systematic, and were conti'ibuted to Alton's 

 ' Hortus Kewensis,' the ' Botanical Register,' and ' Botanical 

 Magazine,' and especiallj^ to Bennett's " Plantse Javaniea; Ba- 

 riores," which include his observations on the classification of 

 ferus,and his monograph oi Stei'culiaccce,Cy)'tandrece,Phi/toc)'ene(B, 

 and on other plants of singular structure and obscure affinities. 

 In 1832, he contributed to the first volume of the 'Journal of the 

 Eoyal Greograjiliical Society ' a paper on the Botany of the Swan 

 Eiver Settlement. In 1850 he laid before this Society, at the 

 request of Humboldt, his views as to the origin and propagation 

 of the Gulf-weed ; in which he opposed the prevalent view that 

 that plant originates, as well as jn'opagates itself, wliere now 

 found. This is his penultimate contribution to our Society's 

 publications. 



In the above imperfect sketch of some of Brown's great labours 

 and discoveries, I feel that I have inadequately acknowledged the 

 debt which botanical science owes to him. To compare his 

 labours with those of his successors in the latter half of that 

 century, the first half of whicli he so greatly adorned, would bean 

 invidious task. It will be for the botanists of the nineteenth 

 century to say for how long a period the name of Brown should 

 carry with it the proud title conferred upon it by Humboldt, 

 and confirmed with acclamation by the botanists of every country 

 in Europe, of " Botauicorum facile priuceps, Britanniarum gloria 

 et ornamentum, totam botanices scientiam ingenio mirifico com- 

 plectens." 



EFLOGTUM ON CHAELES DAEAYIN. 

 By Professor W. H. Flower, C.B., F.E.S., F.L.S. 



The Council of the Linnean Society has honoured me with the 

 request that I would say some words regarding the life and work 

 of our illustrious member Charles Darwin, whose name, it may be 

 said with truth, is more widely known throughout the civilized 

 world than any other that has been enrolled upon the list of 

 Fellows of the Society. 



Darwin has, moreover, special claims for consideration from us 

 on such an occasion as this, inasmuch as a large and very im- 

 portant portion of his work was first communicated to the world 

 by means of papers read at our Meetings and published in our 

 Journal. 



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