LIXNEAK SOCIETr OF LONDOX. 1 9 



of one on the Foreign list ; tlie latter being the illustrious and 

 veteran Zoologist of Wiirzburg, Professor Eudolph Albert von 

 Kolliker — recipient of the Linnean Medal in 1902. 



The obituaries of our late Fellows have been prepared by the 

 Secretaries, and will be presented to the Society in the usual 

 manner. I do not propose to detain you by traversing the same 

 ground, but will merely make a passing reference to two special 

 cases. 



In Mrs. Constance Percy-Sladen we lose one who had recently 

 become a great benefactor of Science, and had founded a noble 

 memorial of her late husband, at one time Zoological Secretary of 

 the Linnean Society. Her interest in this Society was great, she 

 was gratified at being admitted to our Fellowship, she was present 

 at one of our meetings last session, and the sad news of her 

 death was received only a few days before the meeting appointed 

 for the reception of the preliminary account of the first Percy- 

 Sladen Exploring Expedition promoted by the Trust that Mrs. 

 Sladen had founded. It is no great secret, I believe, that Mhen 

 the Indian Ocean was omitted from the great oceanic areas ex- 

 plored during the ' Challenger ' Expedition, Mr. Percy Sladen 

 was one of those who earnestly hoped that some other public or 

 private expedition would be organised to make good the omission : 

 and that later on in life he and his wife talked of planning and 

 promoting such an exploration themselves. Sladen did not live 

 to carry out the plan, but the Trust founded by his widow 

 adopted as its first venture an expedition under the leadership of 

 Mr. Stanley Gardiner, which seemed to have that very purpose 

 in view, and which we now know has been successfully accom- 

 plished. The name borne by our late Fellow and her husband, 

 our former Secretary, will in the future be a familiar word in 

 Science, and especially in our Society, as a result of the ex- 

 plorations supported by the Percy-Sladen Trust. 



The recent terribly sudden death of Professor "Weldon removes 

 from our Society one of the most distinguished of Zoologists, 

 still in the prime of life and in the fulness of work. Of extra- 

 ordinai'y vigour as a lecturer and debater, full of keenness in 

 every research that he undertook, deeply interested in the ad- 

 vancement of all that is best in scientific hfe, and having 

 transcendent ability and superabundant energy, he was able to 

 accomplish much in his too short working life — and it is almost 

 impossible yet to realise that he has left his work unfinished and 

 that other hands must now carry on what his fertile and en- 

 thusiastic mind had planned. His early death is a serious blow 

 to Biological Science in this country, which has suffered many 

 unexpected losses during the last quarter ceutury — since the tragic 

 death of Professor F. M. Balfour on the Alps in 1882. 



The Howes Memorial Fund started by the Officers of this 

 Society and other colleagues and friends of our late Zoological 

 Secretary has now been closed, a Trust-deed has been prepared, 



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