1887-88.] President's Address. 151 



is not only a source of pleasure to the members, but is a 

 positive source of great good to us all. 



Another object contemplated by the founders of our 

 Society was the concentration of their efforts towards the 

 production of original papers. From the very first this has 

 been a marked feature in this Society. Every volume of 

 our Transactions contains scientific papers of great value, 

 many of which, but for the existence of this Society, 

 would never have been written. I am proud to think 

 that, after the lapse of half a century, they still contain 

 papers of the highest scientific value. Quite recently our 

 Transactions were enriched by that most valuable contribu- 

 tion to botanical science, " Hepaticse Amazonic* et Andinoi," 

 by Eichard Spruce ; and I trust that, when the volume 

 for the Session on which we are entered shall appear, 

 it will be found that the Fellows of this Society are still 

 zealov^s workers in this department of science, and that the 

 fruits of their labours are communicated to the world through 

 us. The opening night of the Session gave promise of much 

 excellent work, as evidenced by the able and highly instruc- 

 tive communication of Mr Scott Elliot on " The Flora of the 

 Canary Islands," and the very valuable paper of Mr Traill 

 on " The Marine Alga3 of Elie," not to speak of the valuable 

 monthly reports on temperature and vegetation at the Pioyal 

 Botanic Garden by Mr Lindsay. 



A further object contemplated by this Society was the 

 formation of a public herbarium and library. The valuable 

 University Herbarium at the Eoyal Botanic Garden has 

 been chiefly contributed by the Fellows of this Society ; and 

 some years ago the Society made over to Government its 

 valuable library, and annually it still contributes largely 

 to it. 



As showing the activity of the members in collecting 

 specimens, I may mention that, during the first year of the 

 Society's existence, " between 4000 and 5000 species and up- 

 wards of 60,000 specimens were transmitted to the Society." 

 I would strongly urge on all Fellows of the Society, who 

 have the opportunity of visiting foreign countries, to contri- 

 bute to the University Herbarium at the Eoyal Botanic 

 Garden, as has been done by Mr Scott Elliot. 



The Society has also done good work by publishing from 



