LIXNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



The following account of the Medals subject to the award by the 

 Council, is preceded bj a statement of two Medals offered to 

 the Society, but not accepted, for sufficient reasons. 



On the 3rd September, 1846, Mr. Edwakd Eudge, who had 

 been a Fellow from 1802, died, and by Will directed that a sum 

 of £200 should be placed in the hands of the Council, to found a 

 medal to be given each year to the Fellow publishing the best 

 paper in the annual part of the ' Transactions.' This bequest 

 was considered at four Councils, the last approving a circular 

 which was sent to each Fellow, setting oiit the reasons which 

 caused the Council to decline the bequest; and at the special 

 meeting held on the 8th January, 1847, the action of the 

 Council was fully approved. The full history may be read in 

 our ' Proceedings,' vol. i. pp 315-317. 



The second medal suggested was the generous offer made by 

 Mrs. Cobbold and her son. Dr. C. S. W. Cobbold, to found one 

 in memory of Dr. Thomas Spencer Cobbold, a Fellow from 

 1857 till his death on the 20th March, 1886. He left his books 

 and certain specimens to the Liunean Society, and ultimately 

 the specimens and accompanying note-books were transferred 

 to the Museum of the Eoyal College of Surgeons. The proposal 

 was carefully considered by the Council, but on the 18th February, 

 1887, a decision was arrived at, that in consequence of certain 

 difficulties, the project could not be carried to the conclusion 

 desired by the intending donors. 



Although the Cobbold Medal thus never took shape, it was 

 nevertheless a suggestion which ultimately led to the founding 

 of the LiNNEAS" Medal in tlie following year, when the Society 

 celebrated its century of activity. The account giAen by the 

 President on the occasion of the first award may be restated here, 

 as explaining the events which led to the foundation of the medal. 



" In considering how the Society could specially signalize the 

 celebration of their hundredth Anniversary, the Council resolved 

 to institute a medal, to be known as the Linnean Medal, and to 

 be presented at each Anniversary to one of the most illustrious 

 biologists as an expression of the Society's estimate of his services 

 to science. The following rules were adopted to guide the 

 Council in awarding the medal : — 



Extract from Council Minutes, 3rcZ May, 1888. 

 ' It was resolved that, in connection with the Centenary 



