XVlll 



TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1896. 



The Chief Justice (Sir Lambert Dobson) presided at the monthly 

 meeting of the Royal Society of Tasmania. 



The Secretary (Mr. Alex. Morton) read letters of apology from Sir 

 James Agnew, Hon. C H. Grant, Messrs. J. Barnard, J. B. Walker, 

 and R. M. Johnston. 



DEATH OF BAEON FEED. VON MUELLEE. 



In taking the chair, Sir Lambert Uobson said : In the last few hours 

 death had claimed one whose name had stood amongst the foremost of 

 the scientific botanists of the world. Baron Ferdinand Von Mueller 

 had passed away, and it was fitting that on this first occasion of the 

 meeting of the Society they should give expression to the deep regret 

 the members felt at the loss that the scientific world, and Australia 

 especially, had sustained in that sad event ; and also to give expression 

 to the high esteem and admiration in which they held the Baron. He 

 was one who commenced life as a practical botanist. He took part in 

 various explorations in Australia, and very rapidly gained for himself 

 a name, and one which, with advancing years, became better known 

 and more respected in the scientific world, till towards the end it 

 might be questioned whether any living botanist stood hieher than the 

 learned Baron. This Society owed him a very deep debt of gratitude 

 for all he had done for it. From his earliest days in Victoria — the 

 fifties— he constantly supplied contributions to this society, and 

 whenever they had been at a loss on any botanical question or subject, 

 he was ever ready to give them the advantage of his great knowledge, 

 and that, too, in an unselfish and ungrudging spirit. Baron Von 

 Mueller was one of those scientists who looked upon what he knew as 

 not his own, but obtained for others. The humblest student of botany 

 had but to apply to him to find that the great fountain of knowledge 

 he possessed was ever ready to be poured forth for the benefit of anyone 

 seeking to taste of the springs of botanical knowledge. As early as 

 May, 1858, his eminent services in the science of botany in Australia 

 were very greatly appreciated, and in consequence of the aid he afforded 

 to the Tasmanian Royal Society, it was proposed to make him a corres- 

 ponding member, and he was accordingly elected unanimously. The 

 meeting of the Council at which he was proposed was attended by 

 eight members. Of those all but our venerable Vice-President, Sir 

 James Agnew, had passed away. He would mention their names — 

 Messrs. Joseph Hone (vice-president), in the chair ; Hon. W. Henty, 

 Hon. J. Walker, Alderman Lipscomb, Thos. Giblin, J. W. Agnew 

 (now Sir James W. Agnew), James Sprent, Morton Allport, and Dr. 

 J. Milligan. On September 5, 1882, this Society elected him as an 

 hon. member. They missed the name of two or three of the members 

 of the Council of even that time. Messrs. Jno. Swan, C. T. iJelstead, 

 H. J, Buckland, and Justin Browne had gone before him. Fortunately 

 the Baron's work did not expire with him. He had contributed no less 

 than some 20 volumes of botanical scientific information, many of them 

 were illustrated books, and all prepared with the greatest care and 

 diligence. He (Sir Lambert) believed the Society possessed copies of all 

 those works. They afforded a foundation of solid information for any 

 botanist of Australasia to work upon, and he believed the eminent 

 author had assisted Mr. Bentham in his work on Australian flora, and 

 in his great work upon our trees and plants. All this work the Baron 

 had done. He was nominally the botanist of Victoria, but he really 

 had been the botanist of all Australasia. The information he had 

 furnished was valuable alike to all the colonies ; he drew no lines, he 

 knew no distinction — from wherever information was sought he was 



