XLVII. 
New South Wales, especially when there was brought within reach the possibility of 
obtaining a scientific training according to modern methods without having to go 
abroad for it, by the addition of biology to the curriculum of Sydney University on 
the foundation of the Medical School in 1883. With a view of encouraging such, 
and in recognition of the fact that Australia offers few openings in the way of 
biological appointments and therefore little inducement to biologists unpossessed of 
private means to devote themselves to original work, notwithstanding the amount of 
work to be done and the very great interest attaching to a good deal of it, Sir 
William, after giving a life-interest in his residuary estate to his widow, bequeathed 
out of it upon trust to the Linnean Society of New South Wales the sum of thirty-five 
thousand pounds, to be invested zz perpetwo and the interest thereof applied to the 
foundation of four research fellowships, to be called the Linnsan Macreay FEtiow- 
suips, in the gift of the Council of the Society, and tenable by Bachelors of Science 
of the University of Sydney, the fellowships to be maintained for the following 
purposes and upon the following conditions, as set forth in the testator’s last will. 
The fellowships are intended to encourage and advance research in natural science by 
enabling those who wish to continue their studies at the University or elsewhere after 
having completed the regular curriculum and taken a science degree to do so. Fellows 
must have taken a degree in science at the Sydney University, must reside in New 
South Wales and devote themselves entirely to research work, must be members of 
the Linnean Society of New South Wales and publish the results of their work in 
the Society's Proceedings. The subjects of investigation shall be all branches of 
natural history, biological and geological. The value of each fellowship shall be £400 
per annum ; and the appointment to a fellowship shall be for one year. The appoint- 
ments to fellowships shall be made annually by the Council of the Society ; but the 
testator states particularly that it is his intention and wish that Fellows shall be 
eligible for re-election from year to year so long as the Council is satisfied with the 
quantity and quality of the work done. If at any time fellowships be vacant but 
eligible candidates do not present themselves, then it shall not be necessary for the 
Council to make any appointments. 
Sir William was aware that the fellowships were of greater monetary value than 
is usual under such circumstances ; but on one occasion when, in conversation with 
the writer, that aspect of the matter was touched on, Sir William said that he had 
intentionally given them the assigned value because he wished to make it worth 
while for prospective Fellows to qualify themselves, and for actual Fellows to exert 
themselves enthusiastically enough to maintain their positions. 
The collections which in various ways Sir William Macleay had acquired were, 
until the year 1876, kept at his residence at Elizabeth Bay; as by this time they had 
in the aggregate begun to assume considerable proportions, and to be a tax upon the 
