LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 7 



Dr. A. B. Eendle showed a fine specimen of a viviparous Poa 

 tnvialis, Linn., found by Mr. Miller Christy at Stisted, near 

 Braintree, in Essex. The normal inflorescence was almost entirely 

 replaced by a mass of vegetative outgrowths replacing the flowers. 



A discussion followed, in which Dr. Stapf, Mr. H. N. Dixon, 

 and Mr. W. C. Worsdell took part. 



December 21st, 1911. 



Dr. D. H. Scott, M.A., F.R.S., President, in the Chair 



The Minutes of the General Meeting of the 7th December, 

 1911, were read and confirmed. 



The President then spoke of the loss sustained by the Society 

 since its last meetinj^ in the death of Sir Joseph Hooker, beyond 

 doubt their most distinguished Pellow. He was elected June 7, 

 1842, over 69 years ago, and served on the Council, with only 

 short intermissions, from 1846 to 1884 ; he was Vice-President 

 during a great part of that time, and exercised considerable influence 

 on the aff'airs of the Society, though, unfortunately, never Presi- 

 dent. Much of his best work, so far as it A^as not in book-form, was 

 published by the Society ; his memoirs on the Flora oi the Gala- 

 pagos Islands, the distribution of Arctic plants, and the classic 

 memoir on the unique plant, Wehvitschia mirabilis, were mentioned. 

 His last paper published in our Transactions was on the Eubber 

 plant, Castilloa, 25 years back. The Society hoped to have the 

 lionour of publishing his latest work, on the genus Impatiens, upon 

 which he was actively engaged during the last years of his life, 

 till very near the end. 



Sir Joseph was the acknowledged leader in systematic, and 

 above all, in geographical botany. His contributions to fossil 

 botany were of great value : by the world at lai'ge, he would be 

 best known for his close association with Darwin and with the 

 development of the Darwinian theory. 



The following Resolution was then moved from the Chair : — 



The Fellows of the Linnean Society of London in General 

 Meeting assembled, desire to place upon record their profound 

 sense of the loss to the Society and to the World of Science, 

 occasioned by the deatli of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker on 

 the 10th December, and their pride in his having been a Fellow 

 of the Linnean Society for nearly 70 years, during which by 

 his scientific contributions to the Society's publications and his 

 advice throughout his many years of service on the Council, he 

 so greatly added to the prestige and eflioiency of the Society. 



They desire also to express their deepest sympathy with 

 Lady Hooker and the family in their bereavement. 



That a copy of the foregoing Eesolution be communicated 

 to the family by the General Secretary. 



