LIITNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. XIU 



of this country, one by one, enrolled in its list of members, but 

 many men of rank and social influence sought the fellowship of 

 the Society, and did themselves honour by the sanction which they 

 thus afforded to its progress. 



The increasing numbers and importance of the Society iavolved 

 tlie necessity of its having a house and establishment of its own ; 

 and we find it located in Panton Sqiiare some time in or before 

 the year 1802, in a house which it occupied conjoiutly -with the 

 Westminster Library. At this period its charter was obtained, 

 and it took its permanent established rank amongst the then 

 few chartered institutions of the country. The construction 

 of the bye-laws followed, and the grant of arms from the Herald's 

 College completed its indiWduality. From Panton Square it was 

 removed to Grerard Street in the year 1805, where it continued 

 until, by the death of Sir Joseph Banks in 1820, the house which 

 -that excellent person had long inhabited became vacant, and was 

 in the following year taken by the Society, conjointly with your 

 late distinguished President, IMr. Brown. I have thus hastily 

 sketched the various changes of residence which the Linnean So- 

 ciety has made until the present time, and I will now recur for a 

 few moments to some other cii'cum stances which have marked its 

 progress. Sir James Smith, after a residence in and near London 

 of a few years, determined on returning to his native city of Nor- 

 wich, where he spent the remainder of his life. This, however, 

 did not prevent him from taking the same deep interest in the 

 welfare of an institution which he had founded, and which he had 

 seen so prosperous under his auspices and guardianship. He was 

 accustomed to spend two or three months in every year in London, 

 principally for the purpose of keeping up his connexion with it, 

 and the Fellows continued annually to renew his election as Pre- 

 sident, until his lamented death in the year 1828, after he had 

 held that ofl&ce from its foundation forty years before. The late 

 Earl of Derby, then Lord Stanley, succeeded him in the Chair, 

 and he was followed by the late Duke of Somerset ; on his retire- 

 ment, the amiable Bishop Stanley was elected President, and 

 retained the Chair imtil his death, when yoiu' happy choice fell on 

 the most distinguished botanist of his day, whose high scientific 

 attainments, extensive general knowledge, and combined wisdom 

 and kindness of heart, at once secured to him the deep respect 

 and affection of all who have ever kno^vn him, and reflected honoiu* 

 upon the Society which had chosen him for their President. 

 After the decease of Sir James Smith, the whole of the Linnean 



