1888-89.] President's Address. 369 



tained by his lamented and untimely death. The name of 

 Alexander Dickson was well known and highly esteemed 

 wherever botanical science was studied. We had no more 

 honoured name on our list of Ordinary Fellows than his. In 

 many departments of botanical science he held a foremost 

 place, and in morphological botany he had few equals and no 

 superiors. But whilst we all lionoured and admired him as 

 the scientific botanist, we all loved and revered him still 

 more as the warm-hearted and much-trusted friend. He 

 was one of the truest friends and most genial companions I 

 ever met, or can ever hope to meet. As a county gentleman 

 on his ancestral estates of Hartree and Kilbucho, he was 

 much beloved, and in our Society he had greatly endeared 

 himself to us all. In his warm and generous heart no selfish 

 thought ever found a place. His constant care at all times 

 was for the good of others. He was President of this 

 Society during the Session 1864-65, and also held the office 

 of President during the three years preceding my term of 

 office. He died suddenly at Hartree on 30th December last, 

 and out of respect to his memory, the ordinary meeting of 

 the Society in January was not held. 



" The vital spirits sink 

 To see the vacant chair, and think 

 How good ! how kind ! and he is gone." 



The Society lost two other Eesident Fellows during the 

 past Session — Eev. E. F. Colvin, who had been a Fellow for 

 nearly twenty-four years, and was frequently present at our 

 meetings, and E. M. Smith, F.E.S.E. Mr Smith was a person 

 of eminent scientific attainments, and was elected a Fellow 

 11th November 1869. 



We lost two Non-Eesident Fellows — Mr Edwin Lees, 

 F.L.S., Worcester, and Emeritus Professor John Wilson, 

 both of whom were amongst the oldest members of the 

 Society. Professor Wilson was well known to many of us, 

 and by all who knew him was much esteemed and greatly 

 beloved. 



In addition, we lost by death two Foreign Fellows — Pro- 

 fessor H. Leitgeb of Gratz, and Dr J. E. Planchon, Professor 

 in the Faculty of Science, Montpellier. 



Whilst during the past Session we as a Society were 

 called upon to mourn the removal by death of Professor 



