IV PEOCEEDINGS OT THE 



November 19th, 1857. 



Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



Charles Knight, Esq. ; George Gr. Macpherson, Esq. ; and 

 "Wilfred Dakin Speer, Esq., were elected Fellows. 



Read the following letter from Lady Smith, the widow of the 

 Founder of the Society : — 



" Lowestoft, 12th November, 1857. 



" Gentlemen, — I hope you will do me the honour to ^.ccept 

 the accompanying nineteen volumes, comprising the whole of Sir 

 J. E. Smith's scientific correspondence from the time of his be- 

 coming possessed of the Collections of Linnaeus till his death in 

 1828. There are some among your number who, I believe, wiU 

 peruse these letters with a pleasure nearly equal to that I have 

 enjoyed in arranging them for the present object. They bear 

 ample testimony to the correctness of an observation Sir James 

 made long ago — ' That the pursuit of Natural History is an 

 unerring clue to an intercourse with the best minds.' A spirit 

 of affection and respect flows through the whole correspondence, 

 so that those who may take no interest in the pursuits that 

 occasioned this intercourse, will nevertheless be attracted by the 

 warmth of friendship, the confidence and personal attachment and 

 esteem that pervade the whole. 



" I have two conditions to propose concerning these volumes. 

 The first is, that they shall not be taken from the Society's rooms 

 for perusal. 



" The second, that if ia the course of events the Society of which 

 you are members should cease to exist, or merge into any other 

 Society, I wish these volumes to escape beiag dispersed, and desire 

 they may be placed in the British Museum with the Library of 

 Sir Joseph Banks, and there preserved. 



" Trusting that such a disposition of them may long be averted 

 by your contiauance as a Society, in which I feel the deepest 

 interest, I remain. Gentlemen, with great respect, 



" Toiir faithful Servant, 

 (Signed) " Pleasance Smith." 



" To tlie President m>,d Fellows of the Linnean Society." 



On the motion of Dr. Boott, seconded by C. Cardale Babington, 



