THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 
GENTLEMEN, 
His Magresty THE Kine has been pleased to confer on 
the Society his Royal Patronage during the present year, whilst 
in other ways also it has been one of continued prosperity. 
If the Transactions do not reach to the large number of 
pages that they have occasionally done, they certainly have 
neither lacked in the interest of their matter nor yet in the 
variety of subjects treated on. Our meetings have been as 
largely attended as ever, whilst the number of exhibits has 
been so great that our hours of closing have been frequently 
rather late. All I think betokens continued prosperity. 
The obituary record this year contains I regret to say 
the names of several eminent men. One honorary Fellow 
representing the Russian Empire has passed away—Odo 
Morannel Reuter of Helsingfors—Professor, poet and scientist, 
we can ill afford to lose him. 
Lord Avebury, our oldest Fellow has gone from our ranks, 
and in him the world loses a large-hearted philanthropist and 
politician as well as a man of science. 
Then Herbert Druce has gone also, in whom many of us 
lose a personal friend ever ready to help with his long experience 
and large collections. 
Alfred Russell Wallace, the gifted co-discoverer with Darwin 
of the theory of evolution by Natural Selection, has joined his 
friend in the great beyond. A man whose magnanimity and 
modesty are evidenced in the fact that he christened their 
joint discoveries with the name of Darwinism, and spoke with 
rare felicity in exaltation of his friend’s greater part therein 
at the Darwin- Wallace celebration on July Ist, 1908. 
Five others have likewise passed to the great majority— 
Thomas Boyd, Philip de la Garde, Thien Cheng Kung, Lionel 
Armstrong and A. G. Lethbridge. It would be well if the 
courage and indomitable patience of a Reuter and the large- 
hearted highmindedness of an Avebury and the modesty of a 
Wallace could inspire each one of us to attempt greater things. 
I will now pass to the subject of my address. 
