LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON, 53 



reptiles and ampliibia, but also ou tlie skeleton, the brain, tlie 

 respiratory and digestive organs, myology, and more especially 

 on the vascular system. 



But your famous work on Oligochaetes, particularly Earth- 

 worms, opened up a new field of quire unexpected interest ; your 

 account of the important variety and interest of the nephridia and 

 reproductive organs made a great advance not only in compara- 

 tive anatomy, but also in the description of new forms, and in 

 classification and geographical distrilmtion you became the first 

 authority. Since then you have devoted much labour on parasitic 

 cestode worms. 



I may allude to your chief general publications, besides your 

 JNIonograph on Oligochtetes, books on Geographical Distribution, 

 Animal Coloration, the Structure and Classification of Birds, the 

 volume on Mammalia in the Cambridge Natural History series, 

 and on Whales. 



It is an additional pleasure to me, on handing you this Linnean 

 Medal, to recall our old acquaintance and friendship from a period 

 of forty years ago at Oxford. 



The recipient made a feeling and suitable reply. 



The Genei'al Secretary placed obituary notices of deceased 

 Fellows before the Meeting, and the proceedings terminated. 



OBITUAET NOTICES. 



Reginald Gervase Alexander came of a family settled in 

 Halifax for several generations ; his father and grandfather 

 having been medical men, he followed the same profession. He 

 was born in that town on the i^Oth Eebruary, 1847, was educated 

 at Shrewsbury School, under Dr. Kennedy, went to Caius College, 

 Cambridge, there graduating with honours in 1874, and sub- 

 sequently pi'oceeding M.A., thence migrating to King's College, 

 London, and still further studied at Edinburgh, emerging with 

 the degree of M.D. 



His medical career was a distinguished one, and he was an 

 early practitioner in the open-air treatment of consumption, on 

 which he published several works. 



In ]91U he was declared by the House of Lords a co-heir of 

 the ancient baronies of Burgh (1529) and Cobham of Kent 

 (ltjl3) ; also claimant to the Peerage of Strathbolgie. He died 

 at Halifax, on the 14th February, 1916, of heart-failure, leaving 

 two sons and two daughters, his v\ife having predeceased him by 

 two years. He became a Fellow of the Linnean Society on the 

 IDth April, 1888. [B. D. J.J 



