LFNNKAN SOCIKTV OF LONDOiV. 5I 



The Linnean Gold Meual. 



The Linneaii Gold Medal for the year was then presented to 

 M. Alplionse De Candolle, of Geneva, who had appointed his 

 graudsou, M. Augustin De Caudollo, accompanied bv Dr. Marcet, 

 to receive it. 



In presenting it the President said : — 



It is a great satisfaction to me to place in your Jiands,for trans- 

 mission to your distinguished grandfather, the Linnean Medal, in 

 recognition of his many important services to botanical science. 

 These services have been so great, and are so universally 

 acknowledged, that it is unnecessaiy for me to do more than 

 refer to them. His many systematic monographs justify his 

 being awarded any honour that botanists can confer. His philo- 

 sophical treatment of the geograpliical distribution of plants has 

 greatly advanced this department of science, and his successful 

 codification of the laws of botanical nomenclature has been of the 

 greatest practical service to systematists. But botanists will always 

 look with gratitude to Alphonse De Candolle for the successful 

 carrying on of Ihe gigantic enterprise inaugurated by his father 

 when he undertook the publication of the ' Prodromus Systematis 

 Naturalis Eegni Vegetabilis.' By his own work, by securing the 

 aid of accomplished collahorateurs, and perhaps not least by the 

 plodding toil of reading the proof-sheets volume after volume ot 

 dry systematic descriptions during the 32 years in wdiicli he took 

 charge of the ' Prodromus,' he has laid science under a debt which 

 eainiot be estimated. The work as now completed contains de- 

 scriptions of all the species of Dicotyledonous Phanerogams and 

 of Gymnosperms, as far as tiiey were known at the time the 

 diflfereut volnmes were published, amounting to nearly 60,000. 



By his numerous labours Alphonse De Candolle has added 

 lustre to a name that had already obtained a first place among 

 botanists. His sou, Casimir, maintains the credit of that name, 

 and now, in handing this medal to yon, the repi'esentative of the 

 fourth generation, may I venture to hope that this imperfect note 

 of the services rendered to science by Alphonse De Candolle 

 may help you to realize the honour of the name 30U inherit, and 

 encoui"age you by similar true and honest labour to transmit it 

 with added renown to posterity ? 



Dr. Marcet, on behalf of M. De Candolle, having made a 

 suitable reply, the proceedings terminated. 



