LINXEAX SOCIETY OF LOXDOX. 



49 



have only to turn to his ' General History of the Department of 

 Zoology from 1856 to 1895 ' (Appendix to vol. ii. of ' The History 

 of the Collections contained ni the Natural History Departments 

 of the British Museum '), published in 1912 by the order of the 

 Trustees of the British ]Museum. AVritten in the terse and sober 

 language of the recorder, it testifies through its bare facts and 

 figures to the loyal devotion and the organizing genius of the 

 man who for nearly forty years took an e\ er-growing — and, finally, 

 leading — share in the marvellous activity wliicli the book unrolls. 



Placed in one of the centres of scientific life, he could nut, even 

 if he had wished, escape the claims which the organized corpora- 

 tions of his fellow-workers were bound to make on one so learned, 

 so judicious, so conscientious, and, above all, so utterly unselfish. 

 So \\ e see him elected a lellow of the Eoyal Society in 1867 and 

 a Vice-President of the same Society for 1875-1876 ; a Pellow of 

 tiie Zoological Society in 1862, a member of its Council for 31 

 years, and a Vice-President for 24 years ; a Fellow of the Linnean 

 Society in 1877, a member of its Council for 10 years, and its 

 Prej^ident for 4 years (1896-1900); and in 1880 President of the 

 Biological Section of the British Association. Kor did his merits 

 remain unrecognized. The Eoyal Society awarded him its Eoyal 

 Medal as early as 1878, and the Linnean Society the Linnean 

 Medal in 1904; whilst learned societies of many countries enrolled 

 his name in the lists of their members. 



As to Giinther's services to the Society, there is one important 

 aspect which must not be passed over in silence. The first is 

 the great amount of time and trouble he gave to the arrangement 

 of the Linnean specimens of fishes, their preservation in glass- 

 topped boxes, and a full catalogue of them, which will be i:'ound 

 printed in our ' Proceedings,' 1898-99, pp. 15-38. The other 

 was the acquisition for tne Society of the entire Swainsonian 

 correspondence, by the help of the late Hon. Charles Ellis, the 

 Hon. AValter Eothschild, Sir Frank Crisp, Mr. F. D. Godnian, 

 and the Bentham Trustees. Besides being the active promoter of 

 this purchase, Giinther gave a complete catalogue of all the letters, 

 with an introduction, setting out some of the more interesting 

 ilems. This calendar was printed in our ' Proceedings ' the year 

 following the above-mentioned Linnean list, namely, for 1899- 

 1900, pp. 14-61. The portrait chosen for the frontispiece depicts 

 our former President reading the corresponde'ic^ referred to ; it 

 was reproduced in collotype from a water-colour drawing by 

 Miss Lucy Gee (now Mrs. H. Coxeter) in the possession of 

 :\[r. E. T. Giinther. 



It would not be in the spirit of the deceased to dwell on the 

 aspects of his private life, in which he had his ample share of bliss 

 and of sorrow. But the friend may be permitted to conclude this 

 all too short sketch with a few words of tribute to Albert Giinther, 

 the man. 



He had many friends. If from among his fellow-workers he 



LIXX. SOC. PEOCEEDINGS. — SESSION 1913-19)4. e 



