Transactions. 73 



me of thanking the members of that Society who may be here 

 present for the honour they have done me in placing me in the 

 presidential chair — an honour which I am sure I owe to their 

 kindness and generosity, and not to any services which I have 

 myself rendered to the Society. The fact that I am the only 

 Fellow of the Royal Society of London at the present time 

 connected with the south of Scotland perhaps suggested my 

 selection for the office. But, however that may be, I do assure 

 you that I regard it as a great honour to occupy a position for a 

 time of which the first occupant was that distinguished ornitho- 

 logist, the late Sir William Jardine of Applegirth — (cheei's) — a 

 position which has been filled since his time by a succession of 

 able and worthy men, each having some special claim to local 

 recognition. I regard it as a great honour to preside even for a 

 short season over a Society that during the last thirty years has 

 held aloft the lamp of scientific culture and antiquarian research 

 in this town and district. I am told that it was on the 20th of 

 November, 1862— just thirty-two years ago — that the Dumfries, 

 shire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society 

 was called into existence, chiefly owing to the initiative of the 

 late Dr James Gilclirist, one of the most genial and accomplished 

 and loveable men whom I have ever met, and who, had he been 

 able to devote himself to pure science, would certainly have 

 attained to the highest eminence. (Cheers.) Dr Gilchrist drew 

 around him a coterie of kindred spirits, believers like himself in 

 the advantages of scientific culture — men like Mr Aird, Mr 

 M'Dowall, Mr Gibson, the Rev. Mr Goold, Dr Dickson, Dr 

 Grierson, of Tliornhill — and it was by these men, banded 

 together into a preliminary committee, that this Society was 

 launched and started on that voyage which it has since very 

 prosperously pursued, which I hope it will long continue to 

 pursue, and upon which I am sure we shall all wish it God-speed. 

 (Cheers.) I should weary you were I to attempt to rehearse the 

 excellent work that has been done by this Society since the first 

 paper was read — a paper on tlie Scutellaria Minor by that 

 veteran botanist, the Rev. Mr Fraser, of Col vend. (Cheers.) 

 Indeed, it is not needful that I, should attempt any such 

 rehearsal, for the work of the Society is chronicled in a form 

 that is accessible to all of you in the admirable Transactions 

 published from time to time. I will only say of these Transactions 

 that while, of course, they vary in merit from paper to paper and 



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